Chapter 2: Watching the lover.
She woke in the middle of the night; the only light was the illumination from a full moon streaming in the window of the master bedroom. She rolled over to face him, she loved watching him anytime, but she cherished these quiet moments when she could watch him sleep. Too many nights he didn't sleep, he was either working on his next book or unable to get a nasty case out of his head.
He was lying on his back with his head turned slightly toward her. His left hand resting beside him, while his right was lying on his stomach. She watched him as he slept his breathing even and shallow. He looked so peaceful, all the cares of the day before, wiped away from his face. He looked younger, more handsome if that was possible. His hair was a little grayer, but he still had a full head, his goatee was showing the signs of needing a trim, but as she watched she knew he would do it himself sometime over the weekend.
She watched him as he slept, very content to just lie in bed with him. She knew how much he cared about her, he showed her in so many little ways every day. Little things like he knew she didn't really like to fold laundry, she didn't mind doing it and putting it away, but hated folding it. He would fold clothes when they did it together on weekends. He would send her text messages that just had a smile or a heart in them. She knew Garcia had to be helping him with those. He wrote her little notes leaving them in her briefcase or mailbox at the office and the biggest one was he had dedicated his last book to her. She cried when she saw that.
She watched him and he moved slightly, beginning to awaken. "Are you okay?" He asked his voice heavy with sleep and not opening his eyes.
She watched his smile as she snuggled up against him, resting her head on his chest. As his arms wrapped around her pulling her closer, she responded. "I'm wonderful, just watching." He kissed the top of her head and both drifted off to sleep.
Erin woke and started to stretch, but stopped when she realized he was still asleep next to her. She still had her head on his shoulder, with his strong arms wrapped around her. She looked up and watched him. She knew he was tired, exhausted when they went to bed. She closed her eyes, but felt him begin to stir. He kissed the top of her head and that let her know he was awake. Reaching up she caressed his face. "Good morning, how did you sleep?"
"Better than I have in weeks. I sleep better when I have a warm body pressed against me, when I have you next to me." He kissed her softly and moved to get up.
"Where are you going?" She asked, knowing full well where he was heading.
When he didn't answer, she sat up, pulled on his robe, she heard the toilet flush and walked toward the bathroom. She watched him from the doorway as he washed his face and brushed his teeth. She watched as he picked up the razor to shave and groom his goatee, then decided to leave it and placed the blade back in the cabinet. She saw him run a brush through his hair, and didn't really care when it didn't want to lay perfectly. She watched and smiled, because she knew if this was a work day, he would be perfectly groomed and today he didn't really care.
Dave walked out of the bathroom, kissing her as he passed. "I'm going to go make some coffee. What would you like for breakfast?"
Kissing him back, she said, "how about something light, maybe some fruit and yogurt?" She ran her hand down his arm "I'm going to take a shower. I'll meet you down stairs in a few, okay?"
He didn't answer, just squeezed her hand, kissed her again and headed down stairs.
Twenty minutes later, she walked into the kitchen, dressed in jeans and his I Hate L.A. sweatshirt, expecting to find him sitting at the table drinking coffee. He wasn't, but she heard him and went to the French doors to see what was going on. She smiled as she watched him throw a ball and Mudgie bring it back. She watched as he did this several times before looking over to see her standing there. He smiled a sexy David Rossi smile and blew her a kiss. Little things like that made her heart melt. This was the side of him very few people knew existed.
As she watched him play happily with his dog, she thought about how she had known him more than half her life, and how for most of that time they fought, sparring at every opportunity. Just in the last couple years did they let the sparks that had been smoldering for years, ignite. They became friends, him helping her when she needed a friend. When she came out of rehab, he was there and they talked about their friendship and it became a friendship with benefits. She remembered the first few times they had spent the night together, she thought the sex was mind blowing, but that was nothing compared to how it had become, now that they we in a full blown committed to each other relationship.
She watched him as he sat on the ground and let Mudgie bounce all over him. She knew it had been hard on him when they thought she had died at the hands of the Replicator, but she also remembered him being at her side through the entire ordeal. That was when she realized he was actually in this relationship for the long haul. She smiled at that thought and watched as he stood up, grabbed his mug off the table and made his way back inside followed closely by the large brown dog.
Together the pair peeled apples; cleaned and cored strawberries washed grapes and placed them in a large bowl. Erin watched him as he grabbed the yogurt out of the fridge and the granola from the cupboard. As they sat eating breakfast, neither needed to talk, many morning they sat in silence just content to be together.
She watched him as he picked up a strawberry, popped it in his mouth and made an awful face. She smiled knowing it must have been a sour one. She watched him as he finished eating, picked up both their bowls, the leftover food and put it all away. She watched him as he filled both their coffee mugs, sat back down and watched her watching him.
Dave stood a few minutes later, took his mug in one hand and her hand in his other. Pulling her to her feet, he kissed her softly, before moving toward his office, taking her with him. She knew what that meant, he was going to write.
Erin Strauss settled into one end of the couch in his office, picking up the tablet she always had there and began to read as he settled into his chair and began to type. She wasn't sure what this book was about, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She had read his other books, most of them before he came back to the BAU, but she didn't want him to know that at the time. She wasn't sure how long she had been reading, she looked over and watched him as his fingers moved across the keyboard at a speed she admired. She watched him as he stopped read what he had just written, made his corrections and went on. She admired his concentration. She knew she wouldn't have the concentration to sit and write like he did. She slid down on the couch and closed her eyes being lulled to sleep by the soft strokes of the keys.
Opening her eyes slowly, she looked over to see him watching her. She loved watching him, but it unnerved her to have him watching her. She knew he liked looking at her, he'd told her several times, but she had always been self conscious.
"Hey there sleepy head," he teased with a smile on his handsome face.
She didn't move but asked, "How long have I been asleep?"
"Not long, about an hour." He said stretching. "Katie called while you were asleep; I told her you would call her back."
Sitting up she looked for her phone, "I didn't hear my phone ring."
"That's because you left it in the hall. I checked to see who it was and told her you were resting and would call her. She said she would be in all day she is studying for an exam." He knew she would want to call her daughter now so he went back to writing.
Erin talked to her oldest and then went for a walk, when she came back he was sitting on the sofa watching a movie, she sat cuddled up next to him. They spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies and just puttering around.
She watched him as he began to prepare dinner for them. She watched as he chopped vegetables like a master chef. She enjoyed watching him cook almost as much as he loved cooking. Dish towel flung over his shoulder, tasting various items as he moved around the kitchen. She watched him as he sat the table for just the two of them, and when she got up to help him, she laughed when he grunted and told her to sit back down, and he was doing it all tonight.
After dinner Erin walked back into the kitchen for a glass of water, Dave was standing at the island jotting things down on a pad. She watched him for a short time. He would write something then stop and think, then again scribble something on the pad. She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, "Making notes for your books," she asked.
Chuckling he answered, "Nothing so exciting. Grocery list for tomorrow's cooking lesson."
"And when are you planning on going to the store?" she asked looking at the clock. It was 6:30.
"We," He stressed the we "are going in about 30 minutes." He rolled out of her arms, kissed her temple and moved out of her way. He knew she was going to playfully slap his arm.
Erin Strauss thought the grocery shopping had been uneventful, almost to the point of boring. She wasn't sure why he wanted her to go with him, but she was a good sport and went. They purchased everything he needed and a few extra things. She watched him as he put everything away. Each item had a place and everything was in the proper place. That was one thing she admired about him, he was neat. Not freaky neat, but he liked to keep his home clean. When he was at her house she knew she didn't have to worry about him messing things. She watched him as he closed the pantry and moved toward her. She watched his eyes; his eyes told her so much. The look in his dark orbs told her to hold on tight.
She knew where his thoughts were, it had been a long time since they had made love, with the way his schedule had been the last 2 months they had hardly seen each other and she could tell he was going to make it up to her tonight.
Before she could prepare she was backed against the wall with his lips devouring hers, his body pressed tightly against hers. She returned the kiss with the same intensity. "I've missed you." He growled not breaking this kiss. When they both need air, she pulled away, reaching for his hand, she lead him up the stairs to the master bedroom. Once there he kissed her, took off his shirt and shoes and headed into the bathroom.
Dave came out of the bathroom, to find Erin sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed only in the shirt he had just taken off a few minutes earlier. "Beautiful!" He walked to where she was, pulled her to her feet and lowered his lips to hers in a kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. She loved kissing him and being kissed by him. This kiss told her she was right in what he, what they both needed and wanted tonight.
As he deepened the kiss she felt his hands move to slowly unbutton the shirt, he wanted no he needed to feel her skin next to his. He moved from her lips to kiss her neck, as his hand roamed her body, lightly cupping one breast. His thumb softly teased her left breast, before moving to give the same attention to the other one. He heard he moan softly and that turned him on more. Placing his lips on hers once more, David Rossi, lifted her in his arms and gently laid her on his king size bed, not once breaking the kiss he had planted on her . Finally breaking the kiss, he slowly moved to her neck, then down her body.
She was moving to the edge and he knew it, he knew all the signs her body gave off. Slipping out of his boxers he, positioned himself above her. Holding himself up so as not to put his weight on her, he kissed her hot and hard and in one swift motion he joined them. He stopped once he was fully incased in her warmth to let her adjust. Soon they found their rhythm and he knew he couldn't last much longer, but he wanted her to climax with him. It was always better when they plunged over the edge together. "David, I'm so close." She screamed closing her eyes and gripping at the sheets.
"Open your eyes, Erin." He said and she did as he asked. "Open your eyes; You've been watching me all weekend, now it's my turn to watch you." He wanted to see her eyes as she peaked.
He knew she would meet him at the peak of ecstasy and they would fall over together. One final thrust and they both crossed the point of no return, he held himself still, filling her and looking into her blue eyes as she tightened around him. Her eyes told him everything. They showed him her soul.
He was exhausted and lowered himself to the bed rolling keeping her on top of him. He wasn't ready to pull out yet. He loved being inside her.
Erin looked down at her lover and kissed him. "That was amazing. Just when I think it can't get any better, you go and prove me wrong."
Dave smiled. "You just bring out the best in me, Babe." He loved that he was the one who could do things to her and her body that no one else had ever done. He watched her as she closed her eyes. He knew it wouldn't be long before she was asleep. When they made love they both gave it 100 %, wither it was slow and easy or fast and hard. He rolled them on their side, he heard her breathing even out as he drifted off to sleep.