Solving the math problem.

By AnitaB

Chapter 4: The final equation

She'd never slept so well or so deeply in her life. No nightmares woke her in the middle of the night. No insomnia drove her to look out the windows or to stare at the ceiling for hours at a time. No sense of cold isolation invaded her skin to drag her awake in the early hours. Dani slept straight through the night for the first time in more years than she wanted to think about. She woke up with warmth wrapped around her every nerve… and his name was Charlie.

His heart was beating a calm rhythm against her back. His arms were tight around her waist, long fingers spread wide against her ribs. His skin warmed hers with every single inch of contact. His breath tickled her shoulder. Dani was sleeping in the arms of her partner, Charlie Crews. And even more surprising, she felt absolutely no desire to move away at all. She was comfortable and content to stay right here.

"Hmm, Charlie?" Dani cuddled into the line of his chest, sliding her hands over his to hold him closer. He didn't move a muscle, but somehow she knew he was awake. Dani smiled just a little and twined her fingers through his. "I know you're awake, Charlie."

His hands tightened, pulling her closer to let him nuzzle her neck. His chin propped on her shoulder and his chest heaved a sigh at her back. "We don't have to get up yet. I'm on administrative review and you're on recovery leave." Dani couldn't help a smile at the child-like tone of his voice. Someone didn't want to get out of bed. And she couldn't really argue. Lying here in his arms for as long as possible seemed like a really good plan.

She tried to turn, and couldn't for the grip of his arms around her. Slowly, those arms opened, his hands sliding over her skin to let her see his face. Blue eyes traced over her lips and long fingers cupped her cheek. "Charlie," Dani loved the look her voice put on his face. A tilt of her chin invited him closer, and he jumped at the invitation, meeting her lips with a slow, sweet kiss. Red hair slipped between her fingers as the kiss deepened. She would never get enough of this, of him holding her, touching her, kissing her.

Long fingers stroked down her back to glide along her thigh. Charlie was about to wrap her around the heat of his skin. And she was about to invite him closer with more than open arms. She wanted more, of him, of this heat. "Dani," That hand guided her knee up his thigh to hook over his hip, pulling her body flat against the front of his. "You feel…"

"Hmm, Charlie, you feel…" Dani smiled against his lips and wrapped her legs around his hips. "Up already. I thought we weren't getting up yet." A groan climbed her throat as the long, lean body between her thighs pressed closer and rocked gently.

"Actually, what I said is that we don't have to get up yet. " Charlie rolled to his back and kept her tight against his chest. "Have to and want to are not the same thing at all." Strong arms tightened, guiding her hips against the front of his own. His smile and the careful movement of his hips sent all her nerves into awareness. "You're naked in my arms, Dani Reese, of course I'm up." Dani found herself shaking against his chest and gripping his shoulders with each little thrust of their bodies. "But are you up for it?"

The question was so silly as to not need an answer. Leaning forward, she took his lips in a deep kiss and dragged her nails over his shoulders to the tightening of his hands. Charlie liked her nails. With the next breathless move of their hips, the angle let her take just the tip of him inside. Strong hands clenched on her hips to finish the move, pulling her down around his length to rest on his hips. "Yes, Charlie…" Every single inch of him rubbed against nerves that had never burned like this for anyone else. Dani lost his eyes as her body arched above his, hands clinging to his arms to stay upright. //So damn good.// No one had ever felt as good as Charlie did.

It was only his body inside hers, yet the heat in her blood spiked at the first thrust of him over all her nerves and the grip of his hands guiding her hips. //Charlie, yes.// Her hands braced on his chest, hungry fingers counting the beats of his heart. "Dani, my Dani." Her eyes helplessly locked to his for each thrust of their hips, watching the heat on his face with each move of her body. A smile quirked her lips in the instant before her nails scratched along his skin and pulled another low moan of her name from his lips. Then his back arched and she couldn't watch anything. Her body helplessly arched, blindly following the grip of strong arms and the slide of rough fingertips. "There's my Dani, kiss me, please."

There was nothing she wanted more than Charlie's kiss. Fighting the rhythm of their hips, Dani leaned down against his chest and reached for his lips. "Charlie, I need that kiss, need you. Need all of you." Strong fingers slid into her hair, angling her head for a sweet, deep kiss. He tasted like heaven, felt beyond perfect. Clenching her fingers in his hair, she deepened the kiss. It wasn't enough, it wouldn't ever be enough. Heat climbed her back, turning into words on the tip of her tongue: words, she couldn't help saying. "Need you, Charlie. I Love you."

The body under hers tensed, his hands clenching on her back and blue eyes locking onto hers. "Dani," she'd actually said it, spoken the words that she'd kept inside for god knew how long. And Charlie heard her. "Dani, sweetheart, look at me." Strong fingers slid along her jaw, guiding her eyes to his. His eyes burned bright, and she could almost read something… something very important… in their depths. "There you are, my sweet Dani. I love you. I need you, forever."

It was there, in his eyes, in his face, in the fierce, tender stroke of his hands. Charlie meant it, he meant every single word and the heart-felt, breathless heat of his kiss.

This was finally enough. Her nails drew blood on his back as her body arched and trembled above and around his as their shared climax crashed over her every nerve. //Oh, yes, my Charlie.//

000

Hmm…

He woke up warm and comfortable. Not the kind of heat that happened when the air conditioner was on the fritz. No this was a different kind of heat. This warmth flooded every cold cell of his body with a sense of peace and joy. And he knew exactly what was causing it. //Dani…// She was here, in his arms, and he wasn't dreaming it. Dani Reese was lying naked in his arms, her body soft and so warm against skin that would never get enough of her.

Charlie breathed out a relieved sigh and buried his face in the tangle of sweet-smelling dark hair. //My Dani…// He spread his fingers wide over her tiny waist and pulled her closer against his chest.

He never wanted to wake up any other way. This was perfect. And then Dani made it even better with the twist of her body in his arms and the heat of her eyes on his face. Never had their normally sparky banter happened with so much skin contact, or sweet little kisses, or the faint bite of her nails on his shoulders. He adored the sight and feel of his Dani trembling above him with every little arch of their hips. "But are you up for it?"

Charlie loved the smile on her face, adored the heat of her kiss, and thrilled at the arch of her hips and the clench of her nails in his skin. His hands curved over the beautiful lines of her hips and helped her trembling body slide over his until he was buried so deliciously deep inside her. He watched her eyes flutter closed and her body arch around his. "Yes, Charlie…"

She sounded so good, felt so good. Charlie helplessly called out her name and met every sweet move of her hips with his own, pressing higher and harder inside her to the scratching of her nails and the arching of her back. Dani was gorgeous but too damn far away. He needed more of her skin against his, he needed… "There's my Dani, kiss me, please."

Her hips fought to keep the movement going even as her lips came closer to his. Charlie found his fingers in her hair, leading her closing. "Charlie, I need that kiss, need you. Need all of you." Her lips were finally close enough to taste. //You have me, sweetheart. All of me.// Losing himself in that kiss, Charlie thrilled at the tiny little arches of her hips and the sweet sting of her nails against his scalp. //More, sweetheart, give me everything.// The next thrust of his hips brought a gasp to her lips, costing him the kiss. But her next words… were worth everything. "Need you, Charlie. I Love you."

//Sweetheart?// Every nerve in his body stuttered at the sound of those words. Hands tightened, heart pounded, breath caught. "Dani, Dani, sweetheart. Look at me." Forcing his body to work, Charlie caught her face in his hands to force her to meet his eyes. She met his gaze, eyes searching his face and he flung open his walls to let her see every inch of his soul. Nothing was more important than her knowing he meant this, knowing how he felt. "There you are, my sweet Dani. I love you. I need you, forever." He watched her believe it before pulling her closer for a kiss he needed more than his next breath.

In the middle of this heavenly kiss, her nails bit into his skin and her body shook with release above him, taking his every nerve with her. Dani collapsed into his arms, every inch of her body resting quiet and warm against the racing beat of his heart. He was never letting her go again, and the tight grip her arms around his shoulders said she wouldn't mind.

//There is even a word for when one plus one equals one. That word is love.//

000