Since this chapter features some more smut, I felt it was time to change the rating to M.

Thanks to everyone who has left a review, reviews keep me going!

John gently disengaged from a sleeping Joss. It had been a wonderful evening. Joss had fixed another delicious meal, and dessert…well dessert had been even better. John looked down at his love tenderly. He briefly considered never solving the case and keeping her here in his loft with him forever. But there was Taylor to consider and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep her cooped up safely in the apartment, even with the death threat hanging over her head, so he had better get going.

John slid off the bed carefully. His plan was to check out the warehouse and return home before Joss missed him. She would want to go with him and the last thing he was going to do was to take her within range of the cartel.

Swiftly he dressed and moved silently to the door. He smiled tenderly as he took one last look at Joss sleeping peacefully and slipped out.

John drove to the docks and parked several blocks away from the warehouse. Even though he had checked it after he talked with Taylor, he wanted to check it at night too. It had shown signs of recent activity and smugglers were more active under the cover of darkness.

John approached the building in stealth mode, every sense on high alert. He was right, there were lights in the warehouse and it looked like the cartel was moving some crates out.

John crept closer so he could listen to the men as they were working. They were speaking in Spanish. John listened for a while and after some bitching about girlfriends who expected expensive jewelry and dinners out, John finally got what he wanted.

"I'm tired of doing manual labor," one of them grumbled. "These crates are heavy."

"Stop complaining before Vasquez hears you; he'll put a bullet in your brain when he gets tired of listening to you."

"I don't see why we have to move these boxes to the other warehouse."

"We have a new shipment coming in tomorrow night, we need the space here on the docks. Now quit whining and drive the damn truck."

John followed the truck to the other location. He spent some time casing the place and determined that Vasquez wasn't there, but he would be sure Joss passed the address onto Mulroney in case the cop didn't know about the second warehouse.

He called Fusco. "What the hell?" the detective answered the phone.

"Hello to you too, Lionel."

"Do you know what time it is?" Fusco snarled at him.

John checked his watch, "You don't know what time it is? Maybe you should buy a clock. It's 2:18 am."

He heard Fusco growl. He smiled, he enjoyed teasing the grumpy detective more than he should.

"Lionel, do you think I would call you at this hour for fun?" John asked innocently.

"Yeah, actually. Sounds like your twisted sense of humor."

"Well not tonight, one of your CIs just called in a tip. There is a major drug shipment coming in tomorrow night."

"How come my CIs never call at a decent hour?" Fusco grumbled.

"This CI has plans for tomorrow. I'll see you at the bust."

John drove home. As he parked, he glanced up at his apartment windows and saw there was a light on. "Uh oh," he thought, "Busted." But he smiled, a pissed off Joss was a sexy Joss.

He didn't bother trying to enter the loft quietly since he knew Joss was waiting for him.

"Where have you been sneaking off to?" She snapped when he entered the apartment.

"Just checking out the warehouse your pal Mulroney told us about." John hung his coat in the closet, the one without all the guns.

"Why didn't you wake me up! I wanted to go with you!"

"I was not going to take you anywhere near the Cordova Cartel. In case you haven't noticed they've been trying to kill you."

Joss touched the bandage on her arm, "Yeah, I noticed."

John covered the distance between them in one stride and grabbed her into a bear hug, "I was not going to risk you." And he prevented her from arguing with him by planting a big passionate kiss on her until her arms came up and encircled his neck.

He finally had to break the kiss to breathe and he touched his forehead to hers. "Am I forgiven?"

"It's going to take more than a kiss to get forgiven," she looked up at him coyly.

John scooped her up in his arms and carried her to bed, where he got busy begging forgiveness.

The next night, John watched silently as the fishing boat pulled up the dock and the men began off-loading bales of cocaine. Fusco and Mulroney were hidden a few feet away, but only Fusco knew John was there.

John focused on Vasquez like a laser beam. He didn't care so much about the cocaine, he knew Fusco and Mulroney would deal with that, Joss's safety was his sole concern tonight.

At Mulroney's signal, half the NYPD moved in with lights flashing and sirens blaring. The confused cartel members scattered like cockroaches; one of them even jumped in the water and had to be fished out.

In the confusion, Vasquez bolted down a dark alley between two nearby warehouses. John tore after him, followed more slowly by the out of shape Fusco.

"Freeze, Vasquez," John yelled, leveling his gun at the retreating figure. John himself would have preferred to just shoot the man, but Joss made him promise that there would be no unnecessary killing.

Vasquez took the decision out of John's hands by turning and firing. Vasquez missed, John didn't.

Fusco looked a bit miffed when he huffed up a few minutes later and saw Vasquez's body. "Dammit, do you know how much paperwork I have to do now?"

John gave Fusco his best smirk, "And no Carter to do it for you."

"She types faster," Fusco grumbled.

John handed Lionel his gun so he could take credit for the takedown of Vasquez and high tailed it out there before any of the other law enforcement officers saw him.

Once he was far enough away to be safe, John hit his favorite preset on his phone. The phone had barely rung before Joss answered. John couldn't help but smile. He knew she would be waiting impatiently for his call. It had taken all his powers of persuasion to get her to stay home that night. For a while he'd seriously considered tying her up. He still might…

"Well?" she snapped out, interrupting his thought process.

"It was easy. Mulroney and Fusco get credit for a multi-million dollar bust and the Cordova Cartel is done in New York. Even their expensive attorney can't save them now. They got caught red-handed."

"Vasquez? What about Vasquez?" she asked impatiently.

"Dead."

"JOHN! You promised!"

"In my defense, he shot at me first."

"Are you alright? You're not hurt?" John was surprised to hear concern in her voice, he couldn't remember the last time anyone cared if he was alright or not. Even Finch had a tendency to forget to inquire about his health after a shoot-out.

"I'm fine, Vasquez was no marksman."

"Good, because I have plans for the rest of the night and I need you healthy."

"I'll be home soon."

John stopped and bought a bottle of champagne. Tonight was a night to celebrate. Joss was safe and it was the beginning of something very special between the two of them. Besides, it might be kinda fun to get her a little tipsy.

Joss threw her arms around John as soon as he entered the apartment and he joyfully returned the embrace, sweeping her off her feet and swinging her around while she giggled.

"You're safe now, so I thought a little celebration was in order", John said showing her the bottle he had purchased. "Good idea," she purred at him.

John led her into the kitchen where he opened the bottle and got the champagne flutes from the full bar set that Finch had thoughtfully stocked in the loft, while she got out some crackers and cheese. He poured them each a glass and they nibbled on the cheese and crackers while he gave her a full report of the night's events. He kept their glasses filled during the conversation and she grilled him for all the details.

When he reached the part in his narrative where Vasquez had taken the shot at him, she tenderly reached out and stroked her hand over his cheek and looked up at him with big concerned eyes. "Thank God you weren't hurt! You have to be more careful!" she said.

John put his hand over hers and turned his head so that he could kiss her palm, "Look who's talking," he replied gently touching the wound on her arm. Joss shot him her best "Oh yeah?" look. He laughed at her and then kissed her hungrily on the mouth. Her hand moved from his cheek to the back of his head to hold him in place while she returned the kiss. John smoothly slid his tongue into her mouth and put his flute down so he could place both his arms around her and hold her tightly to him.

She set her empty glass down as well and enthusiastically joined in the kissing. He pinned her against the counter with his body and let his hands wander underneath her shirt. She began unbuttoning his shirt without breaking the kiss and their tongues started fighting for dominance. She had his shirt off quickly and her hands roamed his chest and stomach.

John finally broke the kiss so he could pull Joss's shirt off over her head and peel off her bra. He reached down, placed his hands on her hips and lifted her up onto the counter. He stepped between her legs and then he held her tight against his body for a minute, enjoying the bare skin on skin contact and the feel of the warmth of her body against his. Joss began nuzzling his neck, kissing him from the spot just under his ear down to the point where his neck joined his shoulder. She sucked hard there, leaving a mark.

John moaned and threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her head back so he could claim her mouth once again. Joss reached down and grabbed his ass, pulling him more tightly against her. She ground against him, causing him to moan, "Oh, Joss."

"Get those pants off now", she ordered him breathlessly.

She reached over, undid his belt, popped the button and unzipped his fly, letting his pants and boxer briefs drop. He stepped out of them and kicked them away. He swiftly unbuttoned her jeans, pulled them off her. and moved back between her legs. Grabbing her hips once again he positioned her right on the edge of the counter and slid smoothly into her as she moaned his name. She tightened around him, nearly driving him to his knees.

He began thrusting into her as he held her to his body, raining kisses down on her mouth and neck. She locked her ankles behind him, as desperate to hold him tight as he was to hold her. He arched his back to be sure his cock was rubbing her sensitive spot and her nails dug into his flesh, letting him know that he was successful. "Oh my God," she gasped.

John could tell that Joss was hovering on the edge. To push her over, he grabbed his champagne flute and gently trickled a small amount of the bubbly drink over her clit. The tickling of the bubbles finished the job and a massive orgasm slammed into her body. She arched her back, her eyes rolled back into her head. "Oh my GOD!" she gasped and her head dropped onto his chest. She would have slid off the counter into a puddle on the floor if John had not been holding her.

His own release came a few thrusts later. He felt himself explode within her and he barely managed to keep his knees from buckling.

They held each other for a few moments while they came down off the intensity of their lovemaking.

Joss giggled, "I don't think I will ever look at a bottle of champagne quite the same again."

John laughed and scooped her up, carrying her to the bed for round two.

John killed the guy who put the hit on Joss! Or did he...? )

Hint: this isn't the end, there is more to come!