Louis Fitch opened the door to find Ariana Sanchez on the other side. Though he had invited her, the sight of her was still a surprise, perhaps because he had finally worked up the courage to extend the invitation, or more likely that she accepted it. As always, he was left speechless by her beauty and the magnetism that flowed between them. Being in her presence was like being caught in a swirling vortex that drew the breath from his lungs, sped his heart rate and threw him off balance.
She smiled, her head cocked to the side. "So, I'm starving, can I come in?"
"Oh, yes, sure, sorry", he said stepping aside. "Let me take your coat"
She moved past him and handed her coat to him. "Something smells great"
He hung her coat on the rack by the door. "I wasn't sure what you'd like so I just kept it simple, salad, steak, potatoes. I hope that's okay".
"That sounds great". She looked around the sparsely furnished apartment.

Fitch followed her gaze. "I, uh, I never really got settled in."
Ariana smiled, "It's exactly how I pictured it. It's you".
Fitch raised an eyebrow. Was that good or bad? "Yeah, well, if you want to have a seat I'll get dinner on the table."
Ariana sat down at the small formica topped table. He had went to the trouble of a floral centerpiece,
which looked completely out of place, as did the candles burning on each side of it. "Do you need some help?" she asked.

He appeared in the room with two salad bowls. "No, I'm good. The steak is almost done." He disappeared then returned with a bottle of wine and filled the goblets on the table. "You have perfect timing."
She looked down into the salad he'd brought her. "Not always but I'm working on it."
Now that he was sitting so near to her, his appetite diminished. He watched as she dove in, entranced as her full lips parted to accept the forkfuls of salad. He took a few token bites, mostly just pushing greens around in his bowl. The firelight played off her beautiful dark eyes and he felt he could just fall into them and be lost forever.
She stole a glance at him and caught him staring. She smiled, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. Her body always warmed at the sight of him, uncomfortably so at times. His reticence at making a move charmed her. He was always so forthright, so commanding. Yet with her, he was painfully reserved, shy even. She thought he had feelings for her but as many hints as she had dropped he had never responded in the way she wanted. She was still not certain of his intentions, was he merely lending her a shoulder to lean on as she dealt with her partner's death or was there more to it? She turned to him, having finished her salad. "How was skating?"
"Lets see," he said with a smile, pushing back from the table, "Other than the fact that I couldn't stand up on the skates, it went great." He made his way back into the kitchen with the bowls. "After I just about broke both ankles, Bobby decided that we'd be better off just getting a bite to eat."
Ariana soft laughter warmed the apartment. "I could give you lessons, I mean if there is a next time."
Fitch came back in with two plates with thick steaks and baked potatoes laden with sour cream and chives.
"I don't know, I think Bobby has given up on me in that department. I hope well done is good with you, it's the only way I know how to cook them."
Ariana cut into her steak. "Its the only way I know how to eat them."
"I don't entertain, much... well, at all really" Fitch confided. "Before Bobby came to visit, I'd only cooked for myself. I got tired of take out".
"Well, this is delicious." Ariana said. She saw the doubt in his eyes and noticed he'd barely touched his own food. "Really."
"Thanks. I shouldn't have had that coney with Bobby, I'm not really very hungry."
"You didn't have to go through all this trouble for me," Ariana said, "I could have grabbed something on the way."
"Oh, no trouble," Fitch said, "It gave me something to do while I was waiting for you."
Ariana leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of wine. "I'm sorry I was late, I wanted to stop at home and change."
"I noticed. You look great". Fitch said.
"So do you," she said. A sprinkling of chest hair peeked out from over the top of his black pullover. It was loose enough to be comfortable for him but the cut hinted at the masculine form beneath. So many times she had fantasized what lay beneath. "I'm used to seeing you in suits. The sweater suits you."
Fitch felt himself growing uncomfortable. He wasn't used to compliments. "I'll just clear these dishes."
Ariana stood up, "Let me help". She picked up her plate and followed him into the kitchen.
He took the plate from her and set it in the sink. He turned to her and was caught up in her eyes once again, in that smile. He reeled his emotions in. "So,you find someone to talk to, about, you know, what happened?"
She leaned back against the counter. "No, but I think I'm getting through it okay. John was my partner but,"she hesitated.
Fitch looked out the window. "More than that."
"Not what you think, Lou." she said pointedly. "I wasn't in love with him."
Fitch couldn't look at her. The night he passed on her offer to go out for a beer, she had turned to her partner and they had been intimate. He had known the moment she walked into the squad room the next day and couldn't meet his eyes. He had felt betrayed and angry that Det. Stone had found his way into Ariana's heart and bed. He had come to accept it in time, even to the point of being considerate to Stone. He had realized that Stone could give her what he could not. Not then, anyhow. He continued to look out the window. "Still, there was something"
Ariana chose her words carefully. "He wanted it to be more than it was, that's what made it so hard for me when he got shot. I felt guilty because he was never the one I wanted but I was tired of being alone."

Fitch turned to her mulling over what she'd said. "Everyone needs someone."
"Except you?" she asked. "I've never seen you reach out to anyone."
"There was a reason," he said. He met her gaze directly. It was important that she understood."I didn't want to be alone. It was just safer."
"And now?" she asked.

He smiled and shook his head. "And now, now it's been so long, I'm not sure how."
She put her wine goblet down and laced her fingers through his. "It's not so hard."
He looked down to their hands and then into her eyes. He gingerly touched her hair and lightly ran his fingers through the cascade of silk he had so often longed to touch. His palm came to rest lightly on her cheek and she nuzzled against it. "And what if I want this to be more than you do?" he asked

"That isn't possible", she said simply.

He curled his arms around her back and drew her tightly against him. His mouth sought hers, gently tasting the sweet fullness of her lips. Their bodies sizzled with the contact and with a whimper she pushed harder against him, wanting to draw him inside of her. An inferno of passion coursed through his blood and into their kiss as his hands desperately explored her back and the curve of her buttocks. His pelvis ground against her and allowed her to feel his blood gorged manhood straining against the constraint of his jeans. Her body trembled in anticipation, her legs weak.

He broke the kiss, thinking of Bobby fast asleep in his bedroom.

"We can wait", she said breathlessly, as she seemed to read his mind, though that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Or not", he said. He picked her up into his arms and carried her toward the bedroom.