A/N: So, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything other than post-eps. Sorry about that guys, I've been super busy and Fred has been lazy. Not to mention I had a huge assignment due last week... however, I've been super productive today and got lots of work... AND a whole chapter written (okay, well that's a lie, I had the vast majority of it done, I just needed to add one specific scene ;))
With the mentions of scenes, can I just draw your attention to the change in rating. It's gone up to an M rating. I'll leave that there and say nothing more on that subject ;)
This one has one chapter left now, so thank you all very much for sticking around and seeing it till the end. I hope there's still some of you out there interested! *crosses fingers* Huge thank you to every one who offered thoughts on the last chapter that I posted. You guys are so kind and there were some seriously squeeworthy reviews. So thank you. Seriously. I say it all the time, but you have no idea how much I appreciate your kind thoughts! :) So, special mentions to: Ellie, rhymenocerous, brendanakai, Cocobean2206, Daisy1966, afrozenheart412, KTmac09, 18lzytwner, Alice Quarantine and anon.
Without further adieu, I'll let you guys read! Hope you like it!
Wanted – Hunter Hayes
You know I'd fall apart without you, I don't know how you do what you do. 'Cause everything that don't make sense about me, makes sense when I'm with you. Like everything that's green girl, I need you; but it's more than one and one makes two. Put aside the math and logic of it, you gotta know you want it too.
Wrapping his coat around him and zipping it up, Danny shivered as he fought the freezing cold winds. Winter was moving in a lot quicker than it had in recent years and he was dreading the upcoming months. Waking up at three-am and trudging through the snow to a crime scene was going to be an absolute bitch. It was one of the main reasons why he detested the winter months so much. Working outside for extended periods of time was not the best part of his career by any stretch of the imagination.
He settled against the railing for a moment before jumping away and shuddering at the dirt and snow that had stained his sleeve and was slowly soaking through the material. Damn it! He mumbled to himself as he wiped away the slushy residue. He'd just bought himself the coat, upon Lindsay's request. She'd been on at him for weeks to think about getting himself something durable that would get him through the winter months... and not his damn leather jacket. He'd caved about a week ago, and he'd timed it well because the first batch of snow hit New York in full force the Monday following his pain-in-the-ass shopping trip with his girlfriend.
Girlfriend. He couldn't help the smile that took over his face when he thought about Lindsay. Things had been tough for them over the past month, but it had been worth every second. Being without Lindsay had made him grow up; he'd realised that people's feelings – Lindsay's feelings – weren't something that he could just toy around with. She mattered. What she felt was important. She was important to him. Which was why he was stood, braving the elements. He glanced at his watch, waiting.
She was going to love this.
Lindsay took a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for braving the masses. While she'd slowly become used to the busy nature of the subway, she sometimes found herself a little overwhelmed by the volume of people initiating a small stampede in one tiny, enclosed area. As she fought her way off the subway car, she grasped a nearby hand rail and tugged herself along, managing to escape the closing doors by mere inches. She breathed a sigh of relief as her feet landed on the platform and she glanced up at her stop. It was definitely safe to say that the subway was no place for a Montana girl. But, that being said, the hustle and bustle of New York was endearing to her; providing her with a buzz and warmth that she had failed to replicate anywhere else. And honestly, she'd tried, she'd tried her very hardest to replicate the feeling of belonging in Chicago and it had never quite felt right no matter how hard she'd tried. So, a year into living in Chicago, she'd held her hands up and called it quits; accepting that sometimes, things didn't fit no matter how hard you tried to make them work.
Not wanting to gain herself anymore scowls and demands to get the hell out of the way, she began the ascent up to the street level. As she followed the crowd, desperate to reach the sidewalk, she warranted a glance down to the small bag that sat, squirreled away inside of the huge overnight bag that she clutched in her hand and Lindsay couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. With Danny, they'd been working damn hard on their relationship and together and they were now in a really good place. Danny had worked hard in allowing her access to places he'd forbidden her from before, and in return, she'd let him back into her heart with open arms. This was it with him and she had an air of confidence within her, telling her that this time they were going to make it. No more breaking up; no more messing up. He'd already told her that he wanted her, all of her, forever. And honestly, forever had a pretty good ring to it.
As she emerged to the blistering temperatures of the New York streets, she visibly shivered and wrapped her coat around her, folding her arms over her chest as an attempt to keep some of the body temperature within her coat. There was never a happy medium with New York. It was either sweltering or below freezing. Well, she was sure that she was slightly exaggerating; but at this moment in time, she could think of nothing else.
After what seemed like forever, she managed to disperse from the crowd and breathed a sigh of relief. As much as she loved New York, she hated the feeling of being shoved along by her fellow commuters. Deciding against hanging around however, Lindsay instantly began trudging her way through the slush from last week's snowfall with a small smile tugging at her lips.
Tonight was going to be quite the night.
"Montana!"
She stopped and turned on her heel quickly, but as soon as she'd done it, she regretted it. She could feel her heel fail to catch with the pavement, and her actions when mixed with the wet sidewalk had her slipping. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for impact with the floor in the middle of a flurry of New Yorkers. She knew that her ass was going to hurt like hell and she was pretty much certain she'd walk away from the whole situation with a terribly bruised ego. The impact never came though. Instead, two strong arms caught her waist and pulled her back onto her feet. "I swear, ever the graceful one, Montana."
"Danny? What are you doing here?" she smiled as her eyes danced with glee at the sight of her boyfriend waiting for her; deciding against, of course, to acknowledge her near fall.
"Flack called and told me you got off a little early so I thought I'd surprise you."
"Well I'm glad you did," she whispered, standing on her tiptoes so that she could press a kiss to his lips. "And thanks for that, by the way." She gestured to herself and the floor.
He winked at her as his hand reached for her's. "Plus it was cold and I didn't want you braving the elements by yourself."
"That's cute," she smiled as she tangled her fingers through his, her eyes telling him that she appreciated his decision against rubbing her clumsiness in her face. "But you must be freezing," she chastised him. "I could have made it to your place just fine without you freezing your ass off too."
"Hey, it's the least I could do." He shrugged as he tugged her closer towards him, squeezing her hand affectionately. "I missed you today."
"Yeah?" she smiled. "I missed you too. It sucks when we're on opposite shifts."
"You're tellin' me." He pouted. "It sucks even more that when we are on the same shift together, you're only there for like a few hours."
"Well, that's what happens when you work part time, Danny." She giggled. "It's okay though, I don't mind it."
"Well, I do."
"What shall we do then?" she smirked. "Drive Adam out of the AV lab? Send Hawkes back to the morgue?"
"Whatever it takes," he shrugged. "I'm sure I could bully Abby into transferring," he winked.
She playfully elbowed him and shook her head. "I hardly doubt she'd let that fly for very long."
"Like someone else I know." He smirked.
"Well, what can I say? Couldn't have you thinkin' you could get one over on me. And anyway, the look on your face when I bit back was hysterical. There's no way I could have not called your bluff."
Danny laughed. "I was such a dick to you, and you didn't let that shit fly for a second; I loved that about you."
"That's an absolute lie; you didn't love that about me at all!" Lindsay laughed. "You hated the fact that you'd met your match."
"Well, after I got to know you I loved it."
She scrunched her nose up in disagreement and shook her head. "Liar, you hated it. It's only now that you find it lovable."
"You got me." He smirked. "You were the bane of my existence for a good few months there, Montana."
"What?" she cried. "Danny! You're not supposed to tell me that."
"Lindsay," he sighed. "I'm kidding. I had the biggest crush on you, and I know you know that."
She blushed at her reaction and cast her gaze down. "Maybe... I just, I figured. I dunno. You were pretty mean to me for a while there."
"Yeah well, I was stupid and thought that being mean was somehow endearing."
"Well, surprisingly enough it was." She admitted. "Maybe I was just smitten with your smouldering good looks and strong accent."
"God, I've missed this, you know." Danny sighed as he let go of her hand and wrapped his shoulder around her, pulling her close into his side. "I know that we needed to talk and stuff, but I miss this side of us. I miss teasing you and hearing you laugh. I haven't heard much of that lately."
"Well, you're gonna hear a lot more of it." She looked up at him through her lashes. "I'm done being sad and upset and all of that crap. I'm sick of talking about heavy stuff. Now that I have all of my things back, there's nothing holding us back, is there?"
"Nope." Danny smiled. "Hey listen, I haven't got much in for dinner. Wanna stop and get a pizza?"
Lindsay nodded enthusiastically. "I'm starved, a pizza sounds great."
"Awesome." Danny smirked as he dropped his arm from her shoulder and took her hand, softly linking their fingers together. "Your fingers are cold." He brought their intertwined hands to his lips and blew hot air to her fingers. "You're like a little ice cube."
"It happens when the temperature is so freaking cold." She shuddered. "Don't you remember, you always used to make fun of my cold hands?"
"And your cold feet," he shuddered. "Those babies always used to get me right before I fell asleep."
"Well, you've got all that to look forward to now." She giggled, while tapping the side of his face playfully. "The perks of having a girlfriend."
"Fantastic." He groaned. "I'm gonna buy you fluffy socks or somethin'. I ain't having those ice blocks on me when I'm trying to get some sleep."
"How about you warm them up for me?" Lindsay suggested playfully in his ear.
"Behave." Danny replied in her ear as he tugged her into their regular pizza takeout, which was unsurprisingly packed at this time on a Thursday evening.
"Danny! My man, how's it going buddy?"
"Good, Joe, it's good." Danny smiled over the counter at Joe, the son of the owner of Rays' Pizza. "You remember Lindsay right?"
"I don't forget a pretty face like her's Danny." Joe smirked. "It's good to see you again Lindsay. You guys wanting your usual?"
"Nah, we're gonna get somethin' a little different today."
"We are?" Lindsay piped up with a squeak. "But I like pepperoni! We'll have the usual, Joe. Ignore Danny."
"A woman that knows what she wants." Joe winked. "Keep hold of her, Danny. She must be onto something if she's with you."
"Either that or she's crazy." Danny nudged her playfully before they turned away from Joe whom was already setting to on getting their order ready.
Lindsay's eyes scanned the seats provided in the small waiting area and sighed heavily as she realised there was only one seat left for the two of them. She then watched in horror as Danny sat down on the seat a few footsteps away from her. Her jaw slacked slightly, watching as he happily settled in the seat.
"What'cha lookin' like that for, babe?"
"Nothing." She shrugged, folding her arms over her chest in annoyance. "Are you comfy there?"
"Get over here, you goof." He said as he stood from the seat and pulled Lindsay on his lap. "You think I was sittin' down here and gonna leave you standin'?"
"Um, that's what you did." She pointed out as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"No," he whispered in her ear. "Actually, you're sittin' on my knee." He then dropped his face, moving her coat's collar with his nose so that he could gain access to her neck. He instantly began nipping and kissing the area softly; sending Lindsay into a trance briefly before she began to wiggle on his lap.
"Danny, you're tickling me." She giggled quietly, trying not to disturb the nearby patrons, also waiting for their orders.
"You love it," he whispered against her skin.
"Come on, Dan. Stop." She whined playfully. "Not here."
"Why not?" He countered with a hint of playfulness in his tone.
"Because!" Lindsay complained with a whine. "Everyone else in here doesn't want to see us messing around!"
"They don't want to see two people that care about each other, playin' and laughin'," Danny scoffed. "Especially nowadays with how serious things always are; there's always somethin' draggin' people down, so what's wrong with a bit of this?" Danny tickled her sides, making her shriek with laughter. "Huh, what's wrong with them?" Danny raised his voice slightly. "Miserable bastards! Lighten up!"
"Danny!" Lindsay cried. "Will you knock it off?"
"Why?" he smirked. "In fact, no! I know why." He said dropping his tone lightly.
She suppressed the moan as his fingers swept her skin a little lighter than they had been doing. She was so busted. "Go on," she smirked."Mr. Know it all, enlighten me."
"It turns you on." He whispered in her ear.
She felt her insides tighten at his words and was positive that a blush was washing over her cheeks.
"I didn't hear you deny it." Danny chuckled a few seconds later.
"My mother always told me it wasn't becoming to lie." She whispered in his ear before Danny nudged her with his nose so that he could press a string of lingering kisses to her neck. "Pizza and kissing my neck? Anyone would think you've got an ulterior motive, Mr. Messer."
"Who says that ain't exactly what's goin' on here?" he smirked as Lindsay dropped her bag to the floor. "What's in there, anyway?"
"Nothing," she shook her head. "Just clothes."
"How long you stayin' for?" he chuckled. "A week?"
"I've got jammies-"
"Jammies." Danny chuckled. "That's cute."
"-and clothes for tomorrow so I don't have to go home before work. Plus some toiletries and stuff." she smirked, ignoring his comment. "Don't worry, I'm not moving myself in slowly."
"Why'd you bring jammies?" he inquired.
"Well, I have jammies now." She pointed out to him. "... Well, a bigger selection of jammies."
"Yeah but why'd you bring them?"
"To sleep in?" she smirked.
"Who said you're sleeping?"
"Who said you're getting any?" She countered instantly.
"I won't need to with those jammies, they'll satisfy all these urges and needs I've got."
"Nobody likes a sarcastic asshole, Daniel." Lindsay informed him.
"That's funny because I'm pretty sure you do." He somehow managed to deliver the line without a smirk tugging at his lips. "And anyway, I wasn't being sarcastic."
"Bullshit." Lindsay laughed. "You so were."
"Hey!" He protested. "I'll have you know I'm a genuine fan of your jammies."
"Do you even know what jammies are, Danny? They're flannel bottoms and a tank top. In fact, you'll remember them; the bottoms are what I wore back when I was really sick and throwing up with that stomach virus like three years ago."
"This jammies talk is so sexy, Lindsay." He attempted to whisper in her ear, but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. "Tell me more."
"You're such a jerk! I knew you were messing with me." She swatted his chest playfully. "Not everyone can sleep in their underwear like some people."
"What can I say, I'm hot."
"You're full of it." She shook her head before laying her head in the crook of his shoulder.
"But you love me." He pointed out.
She sighed and pressed a kiss to his temple. "That'd be true, unfortunately."
"Yeah? Well that's a good job," he smiled down at her as he enclosed her in a bubble with his arms as the protective casing. "'Cause I love you too, even if loving me is such a drag."
She swatted his chest. "Hey! I never said tha-"
"I got a double pepperoni with a side of crazy sticks and marinara sauce."
"That's us," Danny smiled as he patted Lindsay's thigh so she could get up. She instantly reached for her purse and pulled out her wallet before Danny placed his hand over her's. "Hey, what you doin'? I got this."
"Danny, no come on, you-"
"My treat, Montana."
"Danny..." she whined.
"I asked you round for dinner, so that makes this my treat." He said with finality in his voice as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Next time we go to yours, you can buy."
"We never go to mine," she pointed out to him as he paid for their dinner.
"So that must mean you're gonna get spoilt." He sighed. "It must be really hard to be you."
"I'm being serious," she growled as she put her purse away and collected her bag from the floor. "You need to knock this shit off, paying for everything. It's not fair on you; I don't want to start taking advantage."
"You're my girlfriend, Lindsay." He told her as he took her hand and balanced their pizza with his other hand as they exited the pizza take-out. "Why on earth would I think you're taking advantage?"
"You're always buying dinner! Not to mention that you're paying double the utilities with us always being at your place, it's gonna get expensive for you soon Danny."
"So?" he shrugged the chill of the wind outside ripping through his coat. "It doesn't matter to me."
"Well just so you know; I'm not happy about it."
"So?"
"So?" she scoffed. "Danny, I don't want you to feel obligated to pay for things. I'm just as much in this relationship as you are. We could at the very least split bills."
Tugging Lindsay to one side, he cornered her against a dry-cleaner's window and pinned her to the glass, mindful of the pizza balanced on his other hand. "Alright, are you listening to me?"
"Danny I-"
"Are you listening to me?" he repeated, cutting off her protests.
"Yes." She sighed.
"You're my girl, Lindsay, k? So if that means I spoil you with dinner and other things, just let me. It's the least I can do. Not to mention I'd rather spend my money on you than something else."
"But, I'd just... never mind." She sighed. "How can I protest when you've got a red nose like that?" She giggled, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. "Come on Rudolph, we can argue this out in the warmth of your apartment."
"Who said we're arguing?" Danny winked at her as he pressed a kiss to her lips before releasing her from against the dry-cleaners. "I'd say it's more of a passionate conversation."
Rolling her eyes, Lindsay retook Danny's hand and continued on towards Danny's apartment. The next few blocks passed quickly with chit-chat and playful banter, much like their conversations had consisted of thus far.
Their hands however, didn't move from their interlocked position. Each one of Lindsay's fingers was linked between one of Danny's and she couldn't help but feel safe in his hands. She often basked in the closeness that holding Danny's hand provided her with. Their mutual decision against being physically intimate over the past few weeks had allowed her time to appreciate the true beauty of the simple act of hand holding. Because ultimately, holding Danny's hand symbolised Lindsay's willingness to momentarily intertwine her life with his. Even if it was just for a few moments underneath the table they were sharing at lunch time. It was a sweet and intimate link to him that she, quite frankly, was proud of. It had taken a lot to hold his hand properly after she'd come home from Chicago. Reaching for his hand showed her willingness to let him in and to share a closeness with him that she'd previously ripped away from him. The first time she'd done it and he'd taken her hand and squeezed it tight, she'd felt a flush of feelings flowing back through her – which cemented her decision. She'd absolutely made the right choice.
"What's that little smile for?" Danny's soft voice pulled her from her philosophical thoughts.
"Nothing." She giggled in reply; surprisingly uncaring at the fact that he'd watched her drift off into her own little world for a moment or two. "Just enjoying the walk." She squeezed his warm hand playfully.
He cast a glance in her direction before smiling and shaking his head. "I don't buy that for a second, but I'll leave it." He said, "For now at least." He then added with a wink.
With his apartment building in sight, Lindsay couldn't help the growl of her stomach, eagerly awaiting the pizza that had been infiltrating her senses for a good five minutes.
"Alright let's try and do this with a bit of dignity," he sighed as he stalled them so he could break away from holding her hand and began fishing in his pocket for his apartment keys. After a few moments of struggling, Lindsay lightly swatted Danny's hand away from his jeans pocket and instantly gathered the keys and began walking up the stairs to his building, him hot on her tail.
"I love how you do that."
"Do what?" she laughed over her shoulder.
"That," he gestured down to the keys, "You knew exactly what to do when you saw I was being a moron."
"Well, in your defence, you are juggling a pizza, Danny." She pointed out. "And anyway, figuring out what you were trying to do wasn't exactly rocket science, was it?"
He paused as he pinned her against the opened apartment door. "I love you, more than you know."
Deciding against a verbal response, Lindsay stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft, yet lingering kiss to his lips that told him everything he needed to know.
She loved him too.
Their pizza had been devoured in about ten minutes; a new record for the both of them – with only the crumbs remaining in the pizza box and a few drops of marinara sauce from their side dish in the polystyrene container. They had both fallen into food comas about fifty seconds after Lindsay swallowed her last bite and had failed to move from where they were snuggled on the couch since.
It was a nice feeling, Lindsay thought, to know that everything now was in place. She had no outstanding responsibilities to Patrick. Her stuff was neatly arranged in her apartment, and they were extremely happy together. Finally.
Although it had been a tough few weeks, Lindsay was proud of the distance they'd covered together. From standing in the airport, desperately searching for him in the arrivals lounge, to where they laid now was a testament to their determination to make their relationship work. And honestly, Lindsay had always had that determination somewhere inside of her because Danny had always been in the back of her mind. No matter how hard she'd tried, she'd never been able to forget about him, nor had she been able to cast aside the feelings that she still very much had for him. He angered her and made her cry. He frustrated her and on some days she felt like she could hate him. But, no matter how mad or upset she got, she could never forget those reasons why she'd fallen in love with him. There had always been a little voice in her mind that begged her to give him a chance; to not give up on him. And as she looked down at him from where she was laid on his chest, she was so glad she'd listened to that tiny voice.
She could feel herself being lulled to sleep by his fingers slowly finding a pathway up and down her back repeatedly. "You're going to send me to sleep if you carry on," she mumbled against his chest.
"So? So long as you don't drool on me like you did last night, I'll be okay."
"You said that was cute." She whined, snuggling her face into the crook of his neck. "I hope you weren't lying to me, mister."
"Oh it was cute," he smirked. "But a little gross, I mean come on Linds... it's not exactly the epitome of romance, is it?"
"The fact that I feel comfortable enough to do it surely says something."
"Hardly!" he smirked. "You were practically unconscious last night."
"Well either way," she scoffed as she raised her head and upper body from his chest. "I'm going to go and get changed... I don't wanna fall asleep in my clothes and I can see it happening."
"What's wrong with that, you've done it before. I can get you changed, babe."
"That's hardly romantic though, is it Danny?"
He shrugged playfully as she stood from the couch, and took his well placed opportunity to swat her on the ass. "I guess it's sayin' something if we still care about romance, right?"
Rolling her eyes, Lindsay grabbed her bag that she'd dropped randomly after they'd made it into the apartment. But, before she could excuse herself from the room, Danny grabbed her empty hand and tugged her back down to his lap. A little confused to begin with, Lindsay blinked up at him questioning his actions. "Uh, what ar-"
She fell short on finishing her sentence as Danny pressed his finger to her lips. Once he was sure that he'd silenced her, her tangled his fingers through her hair and guided her to his lips. In response, she dropped her bag; letting it thud to the floor. Her free hands gave her the chance to curl her fingertips around the material of Danny's short sleeves, appreciating the defined muscles that filled the material out.
Although the kiss had began sweetly, it was quickly turning into something more. She could feel Danny twisting underneath her, moving his body so that they lay across his couch with his head resting on the arm. She followed him, making sure she didn't break their contact, and eventually settled comfortably on top of him. It was then that she finally allowed herself to get lost in the moment. She could feel everything dissipating from her as she allowed all of her thoughts to be put on hold.
His roaming hands sent chills down her spine; warranting an automatic and unconscious moan from her in response. The intensity of their kiss didn't rocket like she'd expected it to; but rather he began to break away from her gently – a way of silently telling her that they were getting carried away and probably needed to stop before things went too far.
The only issue with that was; she wasn't sure whether she wanted him to stop.
He pressed a series of light kisses to her lips before finally breaking away from her. He smiled before whispering: "was that romantic enough for you?" against her lips, to which she could only nod.
After a few moments of listening to their rapid breathing and watching their pounding chests, Lindsay had excused herself to the bathroom, where she was now standing and looking at her appearance in Danny's bathroom mirror.
This was it.
After ten excruciatingly long minutes, she'd finally gathered up enough courage. Here she was in the tiny lingerie set that she'd debated on buying within the store for a good half hour. It looked okay on... but she hadn't been looking for just okay, and she was upset with herself for settling on something that she hadn't been happy with. From their make-out session minutes previous it was painfully obvious where their night together was heading. A lot was riding on tonight, and she'd put a lot of pressure on herself to make it perfect. She was being silly, because it wasn't as if it was their first time together... but it was as good as their first time. She was currently feeling the same butterflies as she had on the night that they'd first slept together. It had been a long time since they'd last been that intimate and she couldn't help but fuss over her underwear, even though she was pretty sure it wouldn't spend too long on her body...
She heard his footsteps creak over the floorboards outside of the bathroom, leading into the bedroom and she took a deep breath. Perfect timing.
It was now or never.
Danny quickly turned around in his bedroom, scanning the surfaces that were now flickering with candles. He'd tried to carefully creep past the bathroom a few times so that Lindsay didn't wonder what he was doing... but he knew he'd just blown his cover as the floorboard creaked loudly, right as he passed her.
He didn't have any expectations for tonight as such... but he did have hopes. The candles were an aid in creating a mood, but if Lindsay still wasn't in that place then the candles could just add to their night.
But God did he hope she was in the mood.
Ever since their night in Chicago, he'd felt a shift in their relationship. It was like she was ready for them to move on... she'd put everything out there on the table and was ready to make the leap with him. But between work, busy schedules, life, dates and social outings with the team to celebrate her return, they'd found themselves unable to do anything but fall into bed next to each other at the end of the day. But tonight... tonight felt different. Even when he'd picked her up from the subway, there was a glistening in her eyes that told him that she was in a different place; that she had big plans for them tonight. Well... he did too.
Danny glanced up from where he'd been lighting the last candle, and as cliché as it was, he could feel the breath hitch in his throat. There, stood against his doorframe was his girlfriend in nothing but a blue lingerie set.
So maybe she was in the mood.
He shamefully couldn't string a sentence together as he soaked in her appearance. She looked absolutely gorgeous in what he could only assume was a new purchase... well; he hoped it was a new purchase. She'd asked him a few days ago what his favourite colour on her was, and he'd responded blue... and he'd thought nothing more of the subject when she turned up to work the next day in a soft blue sweater. She'd asked him if that was the blue he'd meant to which he'd given her a kiss and simply smiled. Now though, it was a little more obvious of why she'd conducted that little research study.
"What do you think?" her voice asked him softly.
"What do I think?" he spluttered, trying to find his voice. "You... you're... I think you look... amazing."
She blushed, the candlelight annunciating the pink of her cheeks delicately. "Really?"
"Really," he nodded, his throat raspy. "You look... wow."
"I'm nervous," she admitted quietly.
"Nervous? Baby, why the hell are you nervous? It's just us, there's nothin' to be nervous about. Besides, we don't have to do anythin' if you don't want; there's no pressure."
"I want everything to be perfect." She admitted quietly.
"It will be," he promised. "But we don't have to rush this."
"I know." She responded simply.
"Don't feel like you have to do this just because it seems like the next step... if you're not ready, that's okay, okay?" Danny said softly.
"I want this," she replied with the same soft tone. "I want you."
Danny observed her in the door way and couldn't help the desire raging through him. Judging from her expression and tone of voice, she was no longer nervous... and he could see in her eyes that this was no longer a game.
There was a part of him that sensed some hesitance within her. There was a heaviness in her eyes that conveyed to him what she was too scared to say herself. She was a little scared of giving herself to him all over again for him to walk away after. While she was much stronger, they both knew that if it came down to it, she wouldn't be able to take another brutal blow to the heart. He'd put her through some torture over the course of their relationship, and he knew that if they shared everything with one another now, there'd be no going back.
He closed the distance between them and swept Lindsay up in his arms as he carried her over to his bed and placed her on the mattress carefully, following her lead as she adjusted in her position. As they progressed towards the scattered pillows at the summit of Danny's bed, he could feel his heart pumping rapidly in his chest as if he was a teenager in over his head with a girl that was way out of his league. Although he'd known it since she'd walked back into his life, it felt like reality had struck him hard in the chest as she lay underneath him. Lindsay was everything he'd wanted and while he'd lost her once, he was damn sure that he was going to take the opportunity to show her that he wasn't ever letting her go again.
Feeling the urgency in Lindsay's touch, Danny fought the urge to succumb to her advances. They had all the time in the world, and the last thing he wanted was for them to rush. Gathering the courage to do so, Danny softly took her hands in his and held them against the mattress as he gazed down at her. His eyes silently conversed with her's; asking her to trust him as he took the lead. Her cheeks were flushed which accompanied her eyes that were swimming with desire for him; and he couldn't help but close the distance and kiss her.
That soft kiss soon escalated.
His shirt was tossed behind him haphazardly with his jeans and boxers following in the same haste. Now with a minimal amount of clothing separating them, Danny finally felt like he could give Lindsay the attention he'd been craving for since she'd returned. They'd come close to making love a number of times but had always stopped before they'd gotten too carried away. And while it had nearly killed Danny to slam the brakes on, he was now glad that they'd waited because he had no doubt in his mind that they were about to connect on a level that they'd failed to reach previously.
Trailing kisses down her neck, Danny paused when he got to the strap of her bra, peppering the area with kisses before he gripped the material with his teeth as he tugged it lightly from her shoulder. She arched towards him in appreciation for his inventive way of removing the constrictive piece of clothing; to which he could only smirk at. His hands, despite his initial hesitance wrapped around her slender back and carefully unclipped the clasp, holding the bra in place. As soon as he'd freed her, he didn't waste a moment in sending the bra in the same path that his clothing had taken.
When the chill of the room hit her, she shuddered under the intense glare of Danny. Her fingers followed the path down his back, appreciating the taut muscles and smooth skin before she pulled him close, so that he was covering her body with his.
Although he was aware of his arousal pressing into her hip, he tried to overlook the pressure in the pit of his stomach that was quickly building up. Instead, he buried his head in the crook of her neck and placed a series of strategic kisses that sent shivers down her spine. He could feel her arch into him as the kisses achieved Danny's desired effect; filling Danny with a pride that he still knew which buttons to push in order to pleasure Lindsay.
"Don't tease me," she whispered, breaking their silence. "Just make love to me."
He leant against her shoulder for a second before pulling back and smiling at her. Her hair was spread across one of his pillows, her cheeks were flushed and she was on the brink of arousal. And he was absolutely positive that she'd never looked more beautiful. He shifted slightly above her frame and slowly linked his fingers around the material of her panties; the last remaining item of clothing on their bodies. He began to remove the lingerie with great care before randomly throwing the item behind him, once again haphazardly.
His eyes soaked in her body appreciatively as he realised that there was nothing more separating them. "No going back," he whispered as he braced himself over her small frame. As a response, Lindsay simply wrapped her fingers around the chain of his Grandfather's dog-tag and pulled him towards her. That simple gesture told him everything he needed to know: she had no intentions of going back.
He connected them intimately and he could feel her moan reverberate against his shoulder.
Although it seemed like forever since they were last connected intimately; nothing had changed - she still felt the same way around him as she had every other time they'd made love. He wasn't sure how she managed it, but she filled him up with something that he just couldn't quite put his finger on. He'd never shared it with anyone else, nor had he been able to replicate it with anyone else. This feeling was something so uniquely tied to Lindsay; and if he was completely honest with himself, a part of him knew exactly what it was. She had been the first and only person that he'd given all of himself to. He'd never realised it, nor had he admitted it; but he'd given her a piece of him that he'd never been able to gain back from her. And although he wasn't sure what he had been expecting – he was relieved to find himself feeling just as much besotted with her as he did the first time that they'd made love.
Deciding that he'd given her enough time to adjust to his length, Danny began his rhythm slowly, which Lindsay joined him in almost instantly. Once they'd achieved the slow and steady rhythm, Danny brushed the hair from Lindsay's face gently before fusing his lips to her's. With every down-stroke Danny made, Lindsay met him halfway with her pelvis; trying to suppress her moans and cries of pleasure.
His eyes locked with her's and he couldn't help but wonder how different his life would have been had she not decided to come back. He most definitely wouldn't be making love to her right now. But further than that, he realised that his life would be an empty vat. He'd have work of course, and he'd have friends... but he wouldn't have Lindsay. And his time away from her made him realise just how important she was to him.
"I love you," he felt her whisper against his shoulder as she scrapped her nails down his back.
"I love you too." He replied, a soft timbre to his voice that he reserved for moments like this; tangled in the sheets with Lindsay.
Biting her lip to stop her cries, Lindsay arched towards him once again; the sensations and pleasure coursing through her body almost too much to keep contained. Making love with Danny had always been quite the pleasurable and explosive experience for Lindsay, but with the emotions and the sentiments that she'd brought to the table, she was finding it hard to keep an ounce of composure.
While she was confident enough to place her trust in him again, she was still slightly wary of giving everything to him. He'd shattered her trust in him, and it had taken a lot to find that confidence again – so now, it was almost like she was holding some of herself back as ransom. Almost like a security blanket to fall back on. If she didn't give him everything, she didn't lose everything if things fell to piece again.
But would they? She questioned herself. Judging by the look on his face and the loving kisses he was pressing to some of her most intimate areas, she had to wonder whether those changes she'd seen in him were genuine changes. She hoped so and deep down, she knew that he'd been brutally honest with himself in her absence. He knew the risks he ran if he chose to push her away and break her trust...
His arms tightened around her small frame, bringing her back down from her thought process; effectively making her crash back to their current reality. She could feel the knot in her stomach quickly tightening, which told her she was minutes from her fall into oblivion. Taking a breath, despite her heaving chest, Lindsay somehow managed to manipulate their position so that she was straddling Danny's lap; pinning him to the mattress, as she had been mere seconds previous.
Their new position gave Danny's wandering hands the perfect opportunity to fully appreciate Lindsay's body as she assumed the role of keeping their rhythm steady. His calloused fingers slid down Lindsay's back, settling on her thighs as he supported her movements against him. Feeling Lindsay's breath hitch against his shoulder, Danny took that as a hint that she was close, and with that she usually required him to help her fall over the proverbial edge; but as his fingers slowly worked their way over her body he felt her tremble against him, before her feminine muscles tightened around him. Her soft moans had been well suppressed throughout their lovemaking, but as she collided with the edge, she could no longer keep herself quiet. She cried out his name and gripped tightly to his arms, digging her fingertips in as she rode through the heights of her pleasure with him convulsing within her.
Danny searched out Lindsay's hands and linked both together and held them over his head as he managed only a few more thrusts before hitting his own climax; spilling everything he had within her.
For a few moments, they laid unmoving and gasping for breath. Lindsay tucked her head into the crook of Danny's neck, breathing against the sensitive area, as he unlaced their hands together and instead, ran his fingers over her back lovingly. It took them both a few minutes before they regained a steady rate of breathing; but neither had spoken a word since they'd hit their explosive climaxes.
Lindsay was the first to break the silence, as she extracted herself from his arms and tucked herself into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "I just want you to know that this feeling," she whispered against his bare chest, "is the reason I never gave up on us, even when my better sense was telling me to let it go."
"Well, I'm glad you're stubborn." He whispered in return, trailing his fingers up and down her sides, "because in all honesty, I don't think I could have gone for the rest of my life not feelin' this."
"You're just a girl underneath your tough male exterior" she teased him, snuggling into his side. "You're just an emotional little girl."
"You know, how about you just give me a good kick in the balls and we'll call it even?" He scoffed. "I ain't a girl, babe. I just got feelin's now... and I'm better at expressing stuff. If I feel like tellin' you that I love you, then I'm not gonna hold back anymore."
"Well that's good to hear." Lindsay smiled against his chest. "But, if you're still offering that kick in the balls..."
"Get lost!" he laughed as his fingers flew to her sides, instantly finding the spot that sent her body convulsing at the tickling sensation.
"DANNY! Danny! Don't-"
Her squeals reduced to giggles as his fingers slowly ceased their attack. With one strategically placed kiss; Danny soon found himself straddling her lap once again.
"How you feel about a round two?" he lowered his voice as he whispered into her ear.
"I thought you'd never ask."
There you have it, the penultimate chapter. Hope it was okay. As always, I'd really love to hear what you thought! Thanks for checking in once again! :)