Chapter Ten:

I wake up to a soft string of kisses along my neck and firm pressure between my legs. Alex's scent is all around me, and the familiar shape of her body is tucked against mine, so I don't start awake. Instead, I sigh and lean back into the pillow, tilting my chin up so her lips have more room to explore. She doesn't get to wake me up like this often, but I'm always glad when she gets the chance.

Slowly, I open my eyes. Alex's beautiful face smiles down at me, and her hair is already pulled into messy pigtails. I twitch. She would never wear her hair that way to work, so the fact that she's put it back can only mean one thing. I swallow and clear my throat. "What time is it?" I ask, even though it doesn't matter. Alex probably switched off the alarm so it wouldn't disturb us.

She leans down until her mouth is hovering less than an inch away from mine. "Early enough for me to tell you good morning before you leave for the day..."

I smile. "Good morning, huh? What kind of good morning did you have in mind?"

Alex doesn't answer. Instead, she catches my lips with hers. The tingle of mint spreads along my tongue, and I realize she's already been out of bed. She must have been planning this. Her hand presses forward, and I groan into her mouth. Neither of us bothered to pull on clothes before we fell asleep, so there's nothing between me and her fingers. They circle my clit, rubbing the tip until I'm throbbing against her.

Only a few strokes, and I'm blossoming open against her touch, breathless with need. "Fuck, Alex…" I blurt out, breaking away from her and gasping for air. "This is some good morning already. But you don't have to do this just because of last night-"

She silences me with a hard kiss, only pulling away once I've swallowed my words. Her fingers keep circling, keep flicking and teasing until small pulses start to ripple inside of me. "This isn't because of last night, Olivia. You were wonderful, but I'm doing this because I want to. I love pleasing you, and that isn't going to stop just because we did something new."

I try to speak, but all that comes out is a soft cry as the heat of her mouth trails down along my chest. She stops to tease the tips of my breasts, switching back and forth until my nipples are stiff, aching points. Each time she takes one between her lips and tugs, my hips buck, and wetness runs into her hand. My inner muscles shiver even though she's not inside of me, and I know that I won't be able to hold out long. She knows my body too well.

The soft burn of her lips shifts down past my ribs, my stomach, my navel. She lingers in a few places, using her teeth and tongue to make me surge forward into her hand, but she never stays anywhere for long. I can't predict where she'll go next. She traps my clit between two of her fingers, forming a 'v' and milking the swollen shaft through its hood. She can't have been touching me for more than a few minutes, but I'm already wound so tight that I'll come if she moves any faster. "Oh God, Alex…"

"Liv…"

I'm almost too wrapped up in the sensations to notice when she starts kissing up along my thigh, but I hiss when her teeth sink into the tender skin there. It hurts, but it also makes me pulse against her hand. Her lips are hovering so close, too close to her fingers. I brace myself, knowing what's coming next. She's had this in mind from the beginning, and I can't find it in myself to protest, even though I'm not quite ready to come. Her mouth always does the most wonderful things to me.

I think I'm prepared for the first scrape of her tongue, but when she shifts her fingers down and draws me between her lips instead, I can't hold out. The warmth, the pressure, the silky heat surrounding me is too much. I scream and thread my fingers through her hair, pulling slightly as I push myself against her mouth. I'm not usually so forceful, but I can't help it. My clit is heavy and tight, and the pressure deep within me is too much to bear. I spill over her chin, twitching wildly between her lips as she sucks me.

She doesn't stop when she feels me tip over the edge. Instead, she pushes two of her fingers inside me. I'm so wet that they slide forward without any resistance. She catches against the sensitive spot along my front wall, hitting it with every thrust until I'm lost in another round of shivers. Her lips stay sealed around me, and her tongue starts flicking. This time, I give her a flood. I cover her mouth and cheeks, still holding tight to the back of her head.

When she finally pulls away, I'm a shivering mess, and her face is glistening. She smirk and runs her tongue over her lips, obviously pleased with herself. I'm slightly embarrassed, but my body also feels incredibly relaxed. Most of all, I'm happy. I'm happy she still wants to make love with me this way, without any extras. Aside from pulling her hair in the heat of the moment, it was beautifully normal. And I'm even happy that this isn't our only option. We can have sex any way we want, and still be us. I feel a blissful sense of freedom.

"That was incredible," I sigh, flopping back against the pillows. "You're incredible…"

"We're incredible together," Alex says, as if she can read my thoughts. "And it's only going to get better."

I smile. I can't help but believe her.

. . .

I feel lighter than air as I walk down the hall the next morning. My cheeks are stretched with a smile, even though it's a Monday and I've got a difficult meeting first thing with Linda Cavanaugh. I'm too happy to let anything bring down my mood. Alex's "good morning" definitely has something to do with it. Having regular sex with her, sharing love and intimacy without the power games, erased the last of my doubts. If I can 'rape' her one evening and make love with her the next morning like nothing has changed, I'm positive we can make this work.

I stop at Huang's office on the way to the bullpen and rap lightly on the door, careful not to spill either of the cups I've got in my hands. One is for him. His advice helped me listen to Alex without judging myself, and I figure buying him real coffee that doesn't come from the burnt pot we all share is the least I can do in return.

His voice calls, "Come in!" after a few seconds, and I balance one of the cups against my chest so that I can open the door. One of the surprising skills you develop as a cop - the ability to carry multiple cups of coffee without those ugly cardboard holders.

I step inside, and since my hands are full again, I use my foot to kick the door shut behind me. "Hey, George," I say, setting one of the cups down on his desk. "This is for you. Five creams, six sugars, french almond, just like you like it."

Huang smiles and reaches for the cup. "And what did I do to deserve both a visit and coffee, Olivia?"

"I took your advice," I tell him. "It worked out great, and I wanted to thank you. Not that I want you to leave, but if you ever get tired of this profiling stuff and decide you're sick of talking to murderers and rapists every day, you could go into private counseling and make a killing."

Huang does not answer right away. He takes a long, slow sip from the steaming cup and lets out a satisfied sigh first. "I won't lie and say I haven't considered it. It's exhausting, doing the work we do, but it's also very rewarding. You know from personal experience. But enough about that. I'm glad to hear you haven't been stuck in your own head. I know that you have a tendency to fall back on old patterns and compare yourself with your father when you're upset."

I'm a little surprised that he's come out and said it so bluntly, but I can't deny that he's telling the truth. Even though I've never met him, my father has been one of the biggest influences in how I view myself. "Yeah. I was worried about that for a while, but I…" I remember Alex's blue eyes staring up at me through the square frames of her glasses, filled with so much trust and love that it breaks and mends my heart at the same time. "I know she doesn't see him when she looks at me. She sees me. Someone she loves and trusts..." Not a rapist. Not someone violent. Not someone that would hurt her. "...and I figure her judgment is way better than mine, anyway."

Huang nods his head. "That's a good starting point. I hope that someday, you can see what she sees for yourself, but it sounds like you're getting a more balanced perspective through her."

I hope he's right. I want the lingering fear that I'll hurt someone I love to go away forever. But for now, being with Alex helps. Knowing that she trusts me makes me trust myself. "Thanks, Huang." My eyes catch the clock on his desk, and I realize that I've spent more time than I had planned in his office. "I have to go. I've got a meeting in ten minutes. Mind if I ask you one more thing first?"

Huang leans back in his chair and folds both hands around his cup of coffee. "Of course not."

"I asked Sam Cavanaugh's mother to come in today. Sam doesn't want to testify, and Alex says we can't get a conviction without him. She wants us to put a wire on him and get a confession from Barnett instead." I sigh, and a little of my good mood fades. "She asked me to get permission from his mother."

"And you aren't sure it's a good idea?"

I press my lips together. "Alex is usually full of good ideas, but I'm not so sure about this one. I don't know which is worse - forcing the poor kid to testify after he's already been through so much, or forcing him to talk with the man who raped him since he was a kid. Neither seems like a good option for him, but we can't exactly let Barnett walk away and rape some other boy, either."

Huang is silent for several moments. He sets his coffee back on the surface of his desk and folds his hands thoughtfully over his crossed legs. I can tell he's lost in thought. "That's a difficult decision. It's pretty obvious that he doesn't want to talk about the abuse with anyone, especially a jury box full of strangers. He probably has conflicting feelings toward Barnett, too. He formed an emotional attachment. It's not uncommon in situations like this, but he has no way of knowing that."

"So, what should I do?"

"I don't think you should make a decision yet. Talk to Sam and his mother first. Give him the choice. He's the one that has to decide in the end, no matter what Alex wants you to do."

I sigh and lower my head. This is a problem I don't have much control over. The fact that Alex and I are involved only complicates things. Huang is right. All I can do is put forward both options and see what the Cavanaughs think. "Fair enough."

Huang gives me a searching look. The muscles of his forehead tighten with concern. "Just do the best you can, Olivia. Sam can only benefit from having someone like you looking out for his best interests."

I cling to those words as I nod my head goodbye and leave Huang's office, still clutching my own cup of coffee. I don't really feel like drinking it anymore.

. . .

AN: I hope you all are enjoying The Second Sister! If you haven't bought it yet, go check it out on Amazon (links are in my profile). I think it's even better than my previous two books. If you've read it (and enjoyed it), please consider leaving a review! They're the best way to convince new readers to take the plunge and try my work.