Thank you all so much again for your support! Here's the next chapter. As always, I welcome your feedback.

I do not own Major Crimes or any of the fabulous characters. That honor belongs to James Duff and co.

Chapter Five

It had been two months since Sharon and Andy started this little arrangement between them, and so far, things were going really well. They spent the same amount of time together as they always did, and their "non-dates" consisted of everything from dinners and movies to more formal affairs like museums and sporting events. Some of the occasions ended with the two of them in bed, while others with a simple goodbye at the end of the night. They were taking things one day at a time and enjoying the time they spent together.

On this particular evening, they had watched a movie at Andy's. Sharon sat close to him, her upper body leaning against his side while his arm wrapped around her. He had leaned over and kissed the top of her head without thinking about the intimacy of the gesture, and the next thing he knew they were in his bed naked and writhing together in a desperate heap of desire. His length was moving in and out of her slick walls in a breakneck pace. Their bodies bore a thin sheen of sweat, and their combined moans occupied the otherwise silent room. Andy pushed into her one last time hitting the exact spot she needed, and she let out a deep moan as her body stiffened and her walls gripped him so tightly, he groaned out his own pleasure as he released himself inside of her.

Afterwards, they laid next to each other in bed while their breathing evened out. For some reason that Sharon couldn't and didn't want to name, she missed the closeness almost immediately. She rolled over and draped her body across his chest and tangled her legs in his. It was the first time she had ever done this, so it took Andy by surprise. Once he had gotten over the shock, he wrapped his arm around her loosely and began drawing random patterns on her still cooling flesh. The warmth that spread through his body pooled in his chest and threatened to overwhelm him. He had been ignoring his feelings as best he could this entire time, but this moment was bringing them front and center.

"You're really quite good in bed, but I suppose you already know that," she said suddenly. He was surprised by the statement, but figured it was her way of distancing herself from the intimacy they were currently sharing.

"I just like to make sure you're enjoying everything and getting out of it what you should," he replied casually. She smiled.

"Oh, I'm definitely getting a lot out of it," she said with a laugh. "In fact, more than I ever have," she admitted and instantly felt vulnerable.

"That's a shame. You... ahh your body... deserves to be worshipped," he said a bit uncomfortably. He wanted her to know how much he wanted to please her - all of her - but he didn't want to scare her off with his feelings. "Have you not always had the best experiences?" He asked cautiously. He knew he was on shaky ground here, but he wanted to know more about her, to connect on a deeper level. She was quiet for a moment, and he feared he scared her off.

"It was just different in the past," She admitted.

"Different how," he replied without thinking about it. Sharon wasn't his girlfriend and they weren't in a relationship. Although, they were friends. Hopefully, he hadn't just crossed a line.

"There wasn't always so much focus on what I needed," she offered hesitantly.

"Jack," he replied simply, and he could feel her small nod against his chest.

"It wasn't always like that. Things were good, great really, in the beginning. But then life happened and Jack retreated into one addiction or another and..." she trailed off, lost in painful memories. "It became easier just to lie there and let him finish. He was too drunk half the time to even know if I was satisfied or not".

"He's a damn fool," Andy spat out, and honestly, it was the least offensive description he had for the prick. How could he have a woman like Sharon in his bed and not want to worship and treasure every single damn thing about her? How could he not want to pleasure her and watch as her release beautifully danced across her face? How could he ever let her go in the first place? It was something Andy was beginning to think of as impossible.

"Our pathetic sex life was the least of my concerns by that point anyway," she replied, but she couldn't shake the warmth that had spread through her at his words. "Besides, I'm the one who kept letting him back into my bed. Even after we had separated," she admitted, and she hoped she hadn't revealed too much. For reasons she couldn't understand at that moment, she felt compelled to share this secret with Andy. She wanted to feel closer to him and she couldn't explain why. Maybe it was the false sense of intimacy brought on by the rather passionate round of sex they just shared.

"Nothing wrong with wanting to share your bed with the man you loved, Sharon," he said sincerely, and she felt relieved.

"And yet, I always ended up feeling terrible about it afterwards," she admitted. Silence passed between.

"You're not feeling-" Andy asked hesitantly before Sharon cut him off.

"No, Andy, I'm not. There's absolutely nothing that feels terrible about this," she said with a smile, but something inside her flickered to life. Something that felt like guilt. She ignored it.

"I'm sorry you experienced that. You deserve a lot better," he said quietly. She nuzzled further into his chest, and his arm instinctively held her closer.

They laid there silently, and Sharon could feel sleep pulling her into its grip. She didn't want to fall asleep for so many reasons, but he was warm, comfortable, and stroking her arm in a very soothing motion. Maybe just a short nap, she thought. After all, it wasn't a good idea to drive home sleepy.

The next morning, Sharon woke up to a masculine arm wrapped around her and a strong chest against her back. She opened her eyes and realized that the bedroom was not her own. The sunlight was streaming in and illuminating the room. All of this left her with only one conclusion: she had spent the night at Andy's with Andy. The realization settled in her chest and she braced for the onslaught of panic, but it never came.

Behind her, Andy began to stir, and Sharon could tell the exact moment the reality of the situation hit him. He quickly removed his arm and rolled over to give her some space. He ran a hand over his face and let out a sigh.

"Shit, Sharon, I'm sorry. I must have fallen asleep," he said, voice raspy from sleep.

"Relax, Andy. We both did," she reassured him. He shook his head.

"No, I saw you fall asleep and I stayed up so I could wake you after you got some rest. I didn't want you driving tired like that. Then I went and fell asleep too," he said. His concern for her caused her heart to flutter. She filed it away for another time.

"Don't worry about it. It's no big deal. We're friends. Friends can spend the night together," she stated simply. Confusion crossed his face.

"But you said-" he said.

"I know, but I wasn't thinking properly. Our homes aren't exactly close, so there are going to be times when we need to spend the night for practical reasons," she said casually. He couldn't believe she had found a way to rationalize and downplay what happened. Sure, friends spent the night, but usually fully clothed in separate beds in separate bedrooms not skin against skin in the same bed after a round of amazing sex. All he could do was nod.

She made a move to get up and proceeded to round up her clothes and put them on. Andy wasn't sure what to do or say, but he was thankful that things weren't awkward and their friendship seemed to still be on track.

"I should get going, though. Rusty spent the night out last night, but he'll be home soon. I don't want to have to explain this," she said before walking back over to the bed and leaning over and dropping a sweet kiss to his lips.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you Monday, then," he replied and she nodded before leaving his room.

If Sharon Raydor didn't mind spending the night together, who was he to argue?

TBC