Twice Into The Same Stream

Chapter 4

by Kate04

October 2004

"Fancy meeting you here. You come here often?" The cocky, slightly ironic way in which he delivered that stupid pick-up line startled Sharon out of her thoughts. She tore her eyes away from the dancing couples to look at the man who had just joined her in the quiet corner at the back of the room. He leaned against the low table behind her, one hand curled around a glass of what looked like juice and the other buried in his pocket. She had to admit that he looked incredibly handsome in his black tuxedo, the crisp, white shirt and that lopsided smile.

It wasn't as if she had never noticed how attractive he was. They had run into each other at work often enough and he was one of those cops with an impeccable sense of style. Yes, she had noticed him before, but usually she had to deal with the consequences of his explosive temper or one of those insane situations he and his partner seemed to find themselves in all too frequently. Most of the time he was a huge stack of paperwork and a headache waiting to happen, even though she secretly enjoyed the times they butted heads. It was something special – different than dealing with other disgruntled cops. His passionate nature spoke to something deep inside her. It was exciting and scary and she preferred not to think about it whenever it happened. It had never occurred to her that she would one day be truly glad to meet him while off duty.

"I happen to like weddings. I didn't expect to see you here, Lieutenant. Bride or groom?"

"Groom. I've known him for a few years. We were out having coffee when he met Melanie. I may have pushed him a little to go over to her and introduce himself. Guess that's why I've been invited. We're not really that close." He shrugged, then looked at her.

"What about you?"

"Bride. We went to college together. We hadn't had any contact for years until we met again at one of Gavin's infamous parties last year."

Andy knew the boisterous lawyer from his time at the City Attorney's office and had no trouble imagining what he would consider a good party. The thought that the uptight Captain Raydor was good friends with such a colourful person was a little strange, but it was a well-known fact. However, in her beautiful dress she looked anything but uptight. It showed an enticing amount of cleavage, hugging her upper body and hips tightly before flaring out to swish around her legs with every move she made. He had found himself appreciating her curves before, but those business suits didn't do any justice to her stunning form. His gaze kept getting drawn to her long, slender neck. He couldn't remember ever seeing her with her hair pinned up in an elaborate twist before, a few strands curling around her face, brushing against her pale skin.

Shaking himself out of his fascination, he looked around, searching for the familiar form of Gavin Baker, frowning when he couldn't spot him.

"So where is our favourite lawyer?"

Sharon grunted and rolled her eyes, clearly unhappy with her friend.

"He stood me up for a hot date with a pack of Tamiflu."

"So you're here all alone?"

His question made her bristle immediately, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him. She didn't care much for the pity in his tone, not liking to be seen as some sort of charity case. Besides, she didn't see anyone by his side, either. What right did he have to judge her?

"Where's your hot date, Lieutenant?"

Andy shrugged, taking a sip of his drink, avoiding her piercing gaze and trying not to let her confrontational tone get to him. He had no desire to start one of their verbal battles. A wedding was hardly the place for that. When he answered, his previous teasing tone made room for a more matter of fact one in an attempt to placate her.

"She dumped me for a younger guy. Her ex or something like that."

He nodded towards a pretty, young blonde who was wrapped around a tall man in a white dress uniform. Pursing her lips, Sharon instantly felt bad for her biting tone. Being left in the middle of a wedding party for a handsome young Navy officer was cruel. She might occasionally have laughed about Flynn's legendary taste for women almost half his age, but seeing first hand the bruised ego he tried so hard to hide made her feel sorry for him. She knew a thing or two about being left for a younger model and it wasn't an experience she wished on anyone else. Taking a step closer, she gently bumped her shoulder against his arm, giving him a commiserating smile.

"I'm sorry."

They stood in companionable silence for a while, sipping their drinks and observing the happy couples on the dance floor. At some point, Sharon grew tired of their private little pity party and, placing her empty wine glass on the table behind her, she straightened and threw a challenging look at the man next to her.

"What do you think? Would it irreparably damage your reputation to be seen dancing with a sad old broad like me?"

Andy let his eyes travel along her body, down to her crimson toenails peeking out of silver shoes, and all the way up again, deliberately lingering on every curve. A slow smile spread over his lips as he extended a hand.

"Captain, you look neither sad nor old and it would be an honour if you would consider giving me this dance."

His gaze left her tingling with warmth and she couldn't suppress the grin that spread over her face at his obvious appreciation. It had been a long time since anyone had bothered to look at her like that, completely obvious and unashamed and it felt great. Just as great as his hand on her hip, only a couple of inches too high to be inappropriate, or the way his body moved against hers, solid and strong. He was a surprisingly good dancer; the chemistry they had discovered while clashing professionally was even stronger with their physical connection.

Sharon loved to dance, but finding a willing and compatible partner was difficult. Jack had never really liked it very much and the times he had taken her dancing over the many years of their marriage could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Ever since Jack had decided to be gone from her life more than he was in it, she had either asked Gavin to accompany her or attended events like this alone if she could find no way of getting out of it. The few male companions she had had over the years were carefully kept out of her social circles to avoid possibly damaging rumours about her personal life. She hadn't been looking for emotional entanglements, anyway. She had a husband and he was enough of a headache. Despite her instinct to be emotionally guarded she felt herself give in to the magnetic pull Andy exerted on her, ignoring the little voice inside her head that warned her of the possible risks.

"Maybe under the circumstances you should call me Sharon."

The slight huskiness of her own voice surprised her and if his smug grin was any indication, he had picked up on it.

"My pleasure, Sharon."

With that, he took her through a series of elaborate and fast-paced spins and dips that left her slightly breathless and kept her too busy staying on her feet to consider the direction her treacherous thoughts took.

When the last notes of the song floated through the air she sighed, disappointed that it was already over. Andy seemed to feel the same, as he did not let go of her. Instead, he fluidly guided her into the next dance and the next one after that until she lost count, not even noticing the changing music. The shift in rhythm was effortless, his lead gentle but firm, and she let go completely, trusting him not to let her spin out of control. She had lost all measure of time, her feet long past hurting, the light dimmed from cheerfully bright to romantic and the music slowed down. The respectful distance between their bodies had shrunk over the last several dances until he had his arms wound around her waist and her hands were linked behind his neck, her head resting against his jaw. It was a powerful feeling, this connection with another human being, intoxicating and addictive and Sharon wished it would never end.

At some point, his hands started caressing her back, stroking up and down and he pulled her even closer. Her eyes drifted shut and she hummed contentedly as his lips brushed against her temple, his nose buried in hair. When she didn't protest, Andy continued to trail soft kisses down the side of her face and along the shell of her ear until he reached the soft spot right behind her earlobe where the smell of her perfume was even more enticing. She trembled in his arms, a moan drawn from her as she tilted her head slightly to give him better access. Encouraged by her response, he kissed his way down her throat, nipping at the sensitive skin before soothing the spot with his tongue as his hands slowly moved lower, over her hips, down her thighs and up again until they cupped her firm, round cheeks, pulling her against him.

She should stop this. That thought flitted through her mind briefly, chased by other, more crucial ones like the friction of his thigh against hers as they moved and the insistent pressure of his arousal against her pubic bone, the tingling of her spine, all the way to her hands and feet and the pulsing heat in her core that increased with every flick of his tongue and every nip of his teeth. They were playing a dangerous game and the potential for disastrous consequences was considerable. There was a reason why she had never looked for that kind of companionship within the LAPD and the rational part of her mind raised serious objections to the fact that she seemed to be starting now. And then his lips found that place behind her ear again, the one that made her knees go weak and her insides quiver with want.

In the end it was she who turned her head and captured his mouth in a kiss. It started out softly, a gentle exploration, a shy touch of tongue against lips. When he responded, careful at first so as not to spook her, she shut the door on those objections for good and burying her hands in the short hair at the back of his head, she deepened the kiss, letting their tongues meet and tangle, taste and find all those sweet, hidden places that made them moan. Thoughts of inappropriateness and risk soon vanished from her conscious mind as she let herself get lost in him, her body melting against his.

Only when the need for air forced them did they ease apart, just enough to draw ragged breaths, their foreheads touching. Their dance steps had deteriorated to a mere shuffling of feet, the rhythm entirely their own, their surroundings going completely unnoticed. Their entire world had shrunk to heat and passion, to the feel of the other's hands and mouth, the solidness of another body and the rapid beating of their hearts. Their lips and tongues wandered over exposed skin, wherever they could reach, lingering where they drew gasps or moans, meeting again and again in a dance all their own. Sharon was dizzy from lack of oxygen and desire, her insides burning and tingling with it. What she felt was not just the urge to have her physical needs taken care of. It went much deeper and the thought frightened her, but she was unable to pull back, to call an end to it, as she knew she should. Instead she kissed him once more, let him trace the curve of her jaw with gentle fingers, from ear to chin and back, down along the throbbing vein in her neck, travelling the length of her clavicle, over her shoulder and down her arm, leaving goose flesh in their wake. He captured her hand, lacing his fingers through hers and bringing them up to his lips.

As he brushed soft kisses against the back of her hand, his tongue circling her knuckles, their eyes locked and she nearly whimpered at the raw need she saw in his gaze and heard in his voice.

"I want you," he rasped, making sure she felt just how much, as he ground his hips against hers.

Closing her eyes, she drew a thin breath before she focused on his impossibly dark eyes again, drawing her bottom lip back and forth between her teeth unsure of what to do.

"Andy," she whispered, her tone conveying all the longing she felt for him. And yet, that small voice of reason in the back of her mind piped in once more, reminding her of what should not be. Shaking her head, she tried to pull away, the words barely making it past the heavy lump in her throat.

"We can't do this. I shouldn't have…"

He did not let her finish, his lips sealing hers with a soft kiss before his fingers replaced them, keeping her from continuing her objections while he voiced his own.

"We're not in LA. Here we're just Sharon and Andy. No work, no rules. There's only one question you need to answer. Do you want this?"

Staring at him for several heartbeats, she considered his words, before she squeezed his hand and gave it a gentle tug, guiding him through the dancing couples towards the elevators and the privacy of her room.

Once the decision was made, they hardly made it upstairs, almost missing the elevator twice. They had been too focused on each other to notice the doors opening and closing the first time. As soon as they were inside, Andy had her pressed against the wall, his hands cupping her face, their lips locked, one of her legs hooked behind his, drawing him even closer. She let her hands explore the strong muscles of his chest and upper arms, toying with his bowtie until it came undone under her fingers, giving her access to the top button of his shirt. By the time they reached her floor, she had opened the first three, revealing the white t-shirt he wore underneath. The discovery, while expected, drew a small whimper of frustration from her. Pushing him away from her, she grabbed his arm and practically dragged him the short way down the corridor, only letting go of him when she needed both hands to retrieve the key card from her small purse.

Andy used the unexpected freedom to move behind her, his hands stroking up and down her sides as he gently kissed her neck, tracing her hairline with the tip of his tongue. The sensation caught her completely off guard and it took her a while to get the door to open as she fumbled with and almost dropped the card several times. When she finally succeeded, Andy gently pushed her into the room, his hands resting on her hips as he walked behind her, her back pressed against him. As soon as the door thudded closed behind them, his lips attacked her neck and shoulders in earnest, exploring every square inch of skin her dress left exposed. The sensation of his insistent kisses drew a hum of desire from her, making her shiver in his arms and press her backside against him.

The friction of Sharon rubbing against his hardness almost drove him over the edge and without further delay he found the zipper at the back of her dress and slowly lowered it all the way to the swell of her butt, his tongue painting random patterns on the skin he revealed and then all the way up to her neck again. His hands brushed the dress off her shoulders, following its descent down her arms.

Once she was free of the restricting sleeves sliding down her arms, she reached behind herself to do some exploring of her own, moaning in anticipation as her hand closed around the sizable bulge in his pants and felt his hips roll into her grip. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, to run her hands over his muscles, to discover the taste of him and his reactions to her every touch. However, for the moment he did not seem inclined to grant her that wish, removing her hand from him as he turned them slightly. Grabbing both of her wrists, he moved them over her head, planting her palms against the wall and holding them there, covered by his. His body pressed against hers, chest against back, groin against butt, his lips against her ear as he rasped an almost breathless order. "Hands where I can see them."

Standing there between the wall and his solid body, restrained by nothing but his words, she felt a fresh wave of desire shoot through her like an electric current. She was by no means a submissive person, neither in life nor in bed, but the way he had issued his demand, commanding yet at the same time sounding almost helpless in his own desire, made her more than willing to give control up to him, at least for the moment, trusting him to take care of her needs as well. She arched into his touch as his fingers skimmed over her stomach and upward until he brushed along the underside of her breasts, feather light and teasing, denying her the firmer contact she craved so very much. Only when his sweet torture drew a frustrated grunt from her, making her push her lower body back against him in retaliation, did he finally cup her soft mounds, letting his thumbs brush over her silk-clad nipples, rolling them between thumb and forefinger until she whimpered, her forehead thudding against the wall as she struggled to breathe. He did not give her a moment to recover, moving along the edge of her dark blue bra to the front clasp, effortlessly unhooking it to let its contents spill into his hands, full and round, all creamy skin and sweet temptation.

Andy took his time exploring her body, finding out how she liked to be touched, what provoked the strongest reaction. He discovered that she was delightfully vocal about her pleasure, moaning and humming, grunting and groaning and whimpering, depending on how and where he stimulated her, if he merely teased or brought her the sensations she was craving. When one of his hands finally travelled all the way up her inner thigh, fingers dancing over the damp fabric of her panties, he uncovered a new sound, a strangled gasp followed by a long, almost pained moan as her hips pushed into his touch. Grinding his hard length against her backside, he slipped his fingers underneath the soft material, groaning as he felt her moist, swollen folds welcoming his long digits. The thought of her apparent arousal coating his fingers and its scent teasing his nose made his mouth water with the need to kiss her there, to run his tongue over her, to see her come apart underneath his mouth. Sucking her earlobe into his mouth, his tongue flicking it the same way he wanted to tease another part of her, he whispered his desire into her ear, making the translucent hairs at the back of her neck rise in reaction.

"I want to taste you."

Closing her eyes, she drew a shuddering breath, his words moving along her veins on a trail of liquid fire, right to her core. The idea of his head between her legs, lips and tongue driving her to the edge and further, was more than she could take. She wanted it more than her next breath, but the need to feel him inside of her, to be joined with him in the most intimate way was even more pressing. If he so much as blew his hot breath against her folds, she would explode and it was not what she wanted, not yet. She wanted all of him and turning around, she made sure he understood that as her arms came around his neck, her hands at the back of his head pulling him into a heated, messy kiss. When they were forced to pull apart, she rested her forehead against his chin, breathing heavily, her voice husky with desperate longing. "I can't. Not without you." She paused, gazing into his eyes, almost black with desire, trying to make him understand that it was just too much at that moment, that there was something else she needed so much more.

The raw hunger he saw in her eyes went straight to his core and he took a step back, letting her hands slide down to his chest before he clasped them and drew her towards the bed. Stopping at the foot, he studied her as she slowly, meticulously undressed him, taking as much time and pleasure in exploring everything she uncovered as he had earlier. When the last barrier fell, she let her fingertips feather down his chest and stomach, brushing over his twitching length, making him thrust into her touch helplessly. Her gaze was drawn to where her hand lingered, a dark shade of emerald, her lids heavy as she licked her lips in anticipation. She wanted to taste him just as much as he had longed to run his tongue through her curls, but just as she had earlier, he denied her the pleasure, shaking his head and once again removing her hands from where he wanted them most. Understanding passed between their locked gazes as he sat on the edge of the bed, drawing her between his spread legs, his thumbs hooking under the waistband of her panties to slowly draw them down her long legs. She was so close to him that the scent of her arousal almost overwhelmed him, making it practically impossible to resist the temptation to devour her, but he respected her wish to save that for the next time. Maybe he should be concerned about his confidence in the fact that there would be a next time for them, but at that moment there was no room for concern or any kind of consideration for the future. He wanted her and she wanted him and they would have each other. That was as far as his mind was willing and able to think ahead.

Shuffling back until he rested comfortably on the bed, Andy pulled her along, urging her to straddle him. When her moist folds brushed against his hardness, he groaned, pushing up against her, his arms reaching up to pull her down and into a long, deep, sensual kiss. It was almost too much – the weight of her body on top of his, her velvety skin under his hands, their lips and tongues caressing, tangling, teasing, their hips grinding, hard against soft, her arousal heightening his. Sharon seemed to agree, as she lifted her hips slightly, just enough to grasp him in a firm grip, positioning him at her entrance before she slowly, inch by painful inch, slid down onto him until he was fully sheathed inside her heat. A long, almost painful groan escaped her throat as she slid her arms underneath him, her head resting on his chest, her eyes closing. They lay like that for a long moment, completely still except for the sound of their rapidly beating hearts and laboured breaths, bathing in the divine sensation of being joined.

It had been a while since Andy had been on a date that had ended with a night of heated sex, but he had a hard time remembering when he had last felt a connection like that, the feeling that he would be perfectly content to just stay there in that moment of unity forever. In the end, they gave in to their desire, slowly starting to move, setting a languid rhythm of thrust and counter thrust, hands wandering and lips locked, tongues circling, tasting, teeth nipping and nails creating angry red lines that would only be noticed much later.

Her entire body tingled with desire, heat pooling at her centre as she rose and fell above him, meeting his thrusts with increasing urgency as she felt her insides tighten with built up need. Their bodies were slick with a thin sheen of sweat, gliding effortlessly against each other, stimulated to the brink of madness. She was so close she could almost taste her release, sweet and bitter, an end to something precious, and she sensed that he was approaching the edge as well, ready to jump with her. His clenched teeth and the iron grip he had on her hips spoke of his struggle to hold back and she redoubled her efforts to reach the brink and tumble over the edge with him, rotating her hips and trying to find the right angle. No matter how hard she tried, it stayed out of reach, her body wound too tight, too eager to succeed and it frustrated her, pushing her ultimate goal even further from her reach.

Andy saw the irritation on her face, felt it in the increasingly desperate thrusts and the plaintive sounds she made. Wrapping his arms around her to pull her against his body and still her movements, he made quick work of flipping them so she came to lie underneath him, grunting in surprise at the sudden manoeuvre. Gently placing one of her legs over his shoulder, he pushed inside of her hard just once before he paused again, capturing her mouth with his once more. When he drew out of the kiss, he cupped her cheek with one hand, urging her to meet his gaze as his other hand came to rest over her pubic bone, his fingers putting gentle pressure on the area just above it as his thumb flicked over her clit, until she pushed into his touch, rolling her hips against his.

"Look at me," he rasped, his voice heavy with passion and barely suppressed need. "Just look at me and breathe."

With those words, he began to move again, gradually increasing his pace, letting her own movements create the stimulation she needed as his hand just rested against her, the angle slightly awkward but manageable. She drew a few deep breaths, just as he had told her to, her belly rising against his fingers. Studying her eyes, he caught the moment her attention shifted inwards, focusing solely on the sensations their union created within her. He chose that moment to change the angle of his thrusts, hitting that elusive spot that made her gasp and tremble until her efforts to keep quiet failed. Soft moans turned into whimpers and then cries of pleasure, her walls starting to pulse around him as her hips jerked erratically, circling against him, seeking for that last bit of stimulation she would need. When she found it, her entire body went rigid for a moment, before she bucked against him almost violently, tossing her head from side to side, her nails digging into his back as she rode the tide of her release, pulling him along with her. He watched her fall apart underneath him seconds before his own world collapsed and then exploded inside his head, a jumble of lights and sounds and sensations, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. In those precious moments before her climax grabbed her she had let herself fall, had trusted him completely in a way no woman had done before and it filled him with pride and the irresistible longing to see it again and again.

Letting her leg slide off his shoulder, Andy collapsed over her, bearing most of his weight on his forearms, his head resting on the pillow next to hers. They were both struggling to breathe, their hearts beating wildly, slow to calm down. Sharon still had her arms wrapped around him, holding on to him to ground herself as the world slowly stopped spinning. After a while, he stirred, trying to roll off of her, but she wouldn't let him, tightening her arms around him. She did not want to let that moment of perfect intimacy slip away. As long as they stayed close like this, as long as she could feel him above her, skin on skin, their bodies still joined, thoughts of what would be next were easy to avoid. Considering the consequences of their spontaneous action was too overwhelming, too frightening and much too real.

It felt so good to have this bond with another person, something that was more than just mutual physical attraction and mere lust. It was that, too. That was a large part of why they had come together like that. It had grown over the years of their acquaintance, with every snark, every eye roll, every fight and every battle of wills. She had felt it in the tingling of her nerve endings, the flush of her skin, and the pleasant ache in her core whenever they crossed paths, whenever his looks lingered on the swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips or the shape of her legs.

She had always wanted him and he her. Her emotional involvement in this encounter and her longing for more closeness with this man was unexpected, however. Sharon had not exactly lived the life of a nun since the separation, but she couldn't remember ever feeling like this - not since Jack. The realization scared her, and she knew she should get up, put some distance between them, but her body wouldn't cooperate, the thought of moving away from him making her hold him even tighter, planting gentle, lingering kisses against his neck and shoulder, her tongue darting out to taste the saltiness of his skin. Andy growled, the sound vibrating through his body as he turned his face and buried his nose in her hair.

"That was…" He mumbled the words against her ear, his hot breath making her shiver. At a loss for words that would capture everything that had just happened between them, he fell silent again and she hummed in response, knowing what he was trying to say, but equally unable to express her feelings. Instead she turned her head and captured his lips with hers, drawing him into another deep, sensual kiss that left them breathless once more. When they parted after what felt like several minutes, she finally let him roll onto his back, pulling her along so that she was tugged against his side, her head resting on his chest, an arm and a leg draped over him. They lay like that for a long time, enjoying the silence and company, each lost in their own thoughts as fingers lazily painted random patterns on bare skin.

His voice startled her out of her reverie when he finally spoke, his tone hesitant, uncertain and his body suddenly tense beneath her hand.

"I guess I should go."

She felt a surprising sense of panic and sadness at his words and his attempts to disentangle himself from her and she rose to her elbow, her free hand planted flat against his chest, not restraining, but making him pause and look into her eyes. The neediness in her tone made her uncomfortable, but for some reason that did not matter. Not with him.

"Stay. Please?" she asked quietly, refusing to hide from his gaze, even though the embarrassment that burned in her cheeks tempted her, letting him see she meant it. When he relaxed back into the soft pillow, she gave into the urge to kiss him again, smiling at the eagerness with which he met her assault. Engaging into a playful fight for dominance, they nipped and licked and groped, seeking and finding places that would render the other incoherent with desire for a moment, sharing careless, messy kisses that made their blood boil.

In the end they had to yield to the limitations of their advanced years, their need for a repeat performance trumped by their bodies' refusal to cooperate. Collapsing in a breathless heap of sweaty limbs, they revelled in shared tenderness, soft kisses and gentle touches that calmed them into a state of boneless bliss. Eventually they started to talk, not about what they had done, because that subject was too complicated, too fraught with emotional landmines. They shared stories about the bride and groom, about how she had met Sarah and how she had met her again decades later, how he had pushed a reluctant Marcus to approach the pretty blonde he had been eyeing all evening. They talked and laughed about the wedding and weddings in general, about shared acquaintances and their children and a number of other more or less inane subjects until exhaustion pulled them into a relaxing slumber.

- TBC -