What keeps you up at night? Part 5

Amy Sykes could not hold back the broad smile that tingled on her lips.

Lieutenant Chuck Cooper, his usual smirk in place, was attempting to steer the conversation to a more explicit topic. His hand lingered on Amy's knee as he leaned in across the bar counter and stared at her, his eyes briefly on her thighs.

The small bar was a few blocks away from Amy's apartment, and the dim lights and low key jazz music cocooned her in a warm feeling. It was well past midnight and despite yawn after yawn, she did not want to go to sleep. Amy and Julio Sanchez had gone for an after work beer, and Coop had joined a few hours later. Amy had convinced both men to share a tray of fries with her. She liked going out with the boys and having a drink or two, decompressing and getting a little away from the cruel facades of life they dealt with on a daily basis.

Julio had left half an hour ago shaking Coops hand and winking at Amy before he had sauntered out of the bar. Now it was only Amy and Coop left. The bar had been full and crowded early on and before midnight but now it was thinning out.

Coop leaned in and sneaked another kiss from her, this time, his mouth lingering as he pulled her lower lip with his mouth. Amy closed her eyes and enjoyed the slow kiss.

"You wanna go home?" Coop asked after the kiss when she opened her eyes, his smile smug and his eyebrows waggling.

Amy laughed and nodded, feeling ripe with happiness.

She quickly downed the last of the beer in one go, the taste acrid and lukewarm, and after putting on their jackets, they walked out into the cool night. Coops arm was warm around her lower back, his fingers under her leather jacket and resting on her hipbone.

Amy drew him closer and they stopped up briefly their mouths meeting once again. They walked a few feet and stopped again to kiss; it was going to take some time to get home. Amy didn't mind. She had been looking forward to the weekend and savoring time alone with him. There was comfort in knowing that she could sleep in, and that she would be waking up next to Coop.

She smiled to herself. She was tipsy from the many shared beers and in a good mood after spending hours with friends laughing. Julio liked Coop; which made it all that much easier.

Inside the apartment block where Amy lived, Coop stopped her with a soft touch under her chin, his thumb going in a small caressing circle. The door closed behind them and the quiet settled like a blanket; most people were asleep by now and the little noise from outside was subdued by the door.

Coop took a hold of her face with both hands, his eyes intensely on her and then his lips were on Amy's again; this time they fastened onto hers with urgency and heat. He pushed her up against the wall next to the door and Amy kissed him back with the same fervor, hanging onto the t-shirt under his jacket.

Somehow they managed to make their way to the stairs and from there, they took a couple of steps, their hands intertwined and their mouths more often locked than not.

On the second floor, Amy giggled when Coop sneaked his hands under her t-shirt; the leather jacket was wide open and she made room for him between her legs as she leaned back against the wall. His thigh was warm between hers and it shot straight through her core.

By the time they made it to the fifth floor, Amy was winded from all the kissing. She pushed Coop up against the wall just next to her front door, teasing him as she let her mouth linger an inch from his and quirked an eyebrow before she leaned completely in and gave him a short, full kiss on the lips.

Out of the corner of her eye, the single rose caught her attention. She turned her head to look at her front door, smiling. The rose was dark red with large petals, taped to her front door with grey tape.

"Coop," Amy shook her head with a smile. She leaned sideways and pulled the rose to her.

It was long stemmed with no thorns.

Amy looked back at Coop, a coy smile. "When did you manage to put it on my door?"

Coop shook his head, amused, "I'm sorry to say; that's not me. Sykes, are you seeing someone else?" He laughed, the comment in no way serious.

Amy smiled; so he wanted to play it that way.

"Well," Amy prolonged the word, pursing her lips and tilting her head as she looked at him.

Coop leaned forward and captured her lips; this time it was hard and with promise. She agreed with him; she really needed release soon.

Coop sneaked the rose out of her hand in the middle of the kiss. He looked it over after the kiss with a pursed mouth.

"Hmm, see, Sykes. There's even a note from your secret lover."

Amy smiled and then leaned against him, her head against his chest. His scent was warm as it wrapped itself around her.

She waited for him to read the note out aloud.

There was only silence.

Amy heard the deep breath he took, reverberate in his chest.

Coop cleared his throat and then he said, "Amy?" His voice sounded strange.

Amy quickly looked up, the smile on her lips disappearing the moment she saw his expression. "Yeah?"

He turned the note in his hands around and Amy read the words, her eyes squinting in the half dark. She furrowed her brow, worried, at the words and their meaning.

'Abyss here you go. What awaits the brave detective in the Dark Depths? Surely Monsters. The Dark will devour you; that I promise you.'

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