Stella settled her thoughts for a moment before she answered Sam's question. What she did for fun and what he did for fun might be two entirely different things, or they could be indistinguishable-who doesn't like fucking?

For now, she played it safe and offered him a similar response to the one he gave her.

"Swim. I swim laps," she said, still looking at Sam as he drove through the hilly terrain. He nodded and glanced in her direction, then smiled. She could tell he was about to speak, but wanting to push him a little, she continued her line of questioning.

"But really, Sam, am I to believe your idea of endless, unadulterated fun is punching a big canvas bag all night?"

"Now, wait a minute, Gibson, you only asked me what my idea of fun is. I gave you one."

Removing his right hand from the steering wheel, he gestured the number one with his pointer finger. Stella laughed, then shifted onto her left hip and crossed her legs. All of a sudden, she was very interested in the direction the conversation was heading.

"Right then. So why don't you tell me another activity you like to do for fun."

She smirked at the thought of her leading question.

"Hmmm, you know, Gibson, there are a couple different ways I could answer that."

She leaned into her armrest, readily awaiting his reply. He continued, "But before I do, it looks like we've arrived at our destination."

Stella had been so caught up in their conversation she hadn't noticed the progress of their trip. Sitting back against her seat, she sighed at not being able to finish their discussion.

Sam pulled into a far-end spot, put the unmarked Chevy Tahoe in park, and turned to Stella. Her beauty wasn't lost on him; there was no doubt in his mind he was attracted to her, and by the way she interacted with him—he felt confident she reciprocated.

Still, there was something deeper than just physical attraction. Stella's demeanor felt familiar, like it had been imprinted on his psyche well before he met her. He was drawn to her, trusted her—believed in her.

Her voice pulled him from his thoughts, "You must save your answer for another time. I am full of anticipation to hear what Detective Sam Hodiak does for real fun."

Returning a tiny smirk, he tilted his head into the headrest, "You know Stella, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were flirting with me."

Stella unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the passenger side door. Pausing before she exited the vehicle, she turned around, and with a high-pitched "huh," she shut the car door and made her way to the small station.

Sam sat alone in the SUV for a hot minute, hot because of the temperature but more so at the interaction he just had with Stella. He let out a long sigh and chuckled to himself as he gathered his things. He'd never met a woman quite like Stella, and he was pretty sure he was quickly becoming more and more interested in his new partner in every way imaginable.

He stepped out of the car and adjusted his tie and sunglasses in the side-view mirror. He quietly mumbled to himself, "You've got your hands full, Hodiak," as he fidgeted with his neckwear.

He walked around the front of the SUV, quickly picking up his pace to catch up to Stella. When he met her stride, she turned to him and smiled. In return, he placed a soft hand to the small of her back, following her up the stairs into the new building they would call home until they caught their killer.

After a short meet and greet, Sam briefed the new team of police officers and detectives assigned to the case. He also made sure to give Stella the opportunity to speak, giving her the floor, she fielded questions for the both of them. All in all, the meeting lasted forty-five minutes. When they were done, they spent the next hour settling into a small conference room to use for the duration of the case.

The Captain, a tall older woman, seemed well intended on giving them space, "I'm not a micromanager; I have enough on my plate. Just do your jobs and catch this guy." She let them know as she quickly provided them a brief tour of the station before leaving them alone.

"You know Gibson, I'm beginning to get slightly pissed off at how many times we are being reminded to 'catch this guy', as if we needed reminding," he said as he shut the door to the conference room.

Stella nodded, quipping back, "It does seem rather unnecessary."

Sam took his suit jacket off and draped it over one of the office chairs. Getting to work, he took a seat in front of the conference room computer and pulled up his email-checking his inbox for forensic lab results. Waiting for his email to pull up, he studied Stella's movements, she was focused and deliberate as she slowly thumbed through the pages of handwritten notes in her notebook-underlining and marking as she went along.

A new message from the lab appeared in his inbox, clicking on it, he called her over, "Hey, Gibson, take a look at this—there were small fibers found on the last victim," he said, pointing at the computer screen. Stella walked over and placed one hand on the back of Sam's chair, leaning into him as she read the report over his shoulder.

"Hmm. An adhesive with trace fibers…"

Sam looked up from the screen, "Duct tape." Stella nodded in agreement at his conclusion. He continued, reading the report out loud, "No trace DNA. End report."

He looked up at Stella, who was still leaning over; her blouse had inevitably bellowed open, revealing to Sam a small glimpse of her right breast. He cleared his throat and diverted his eyes up toward her face, "Well Stella, I think we have our first lead."

"That we do." She said with a straight face.

Stella stood up, crossed her arms-and half sitting, half standing, leaned against the table ledge. Sam reclined back in his chair, his knee grazing her thigh as he moved. She smiled, their eyes locked on each other, neither one willing to break the stare.

"What say you and I hit up the local hardware stores," Stella suggested.

"I'd say that sounds like a date—maybe grab that lunch you owe me too."

"I owe you?"

Sam stood, now in Stella's direct personal space. She leaned back, putting her hands on the conference table to support her weight.

"If my memory serves me correctly, and it usually does, we tied during target practice and I believe we decided a rematch would be in order," she said with her signature matter-of-fact tone.

He lifted his head back and slowly nodded, "Oh yeah."

Tapping his left temple with one finger, "That might have been the arrangement, now that I think of it." Turning around and scooping up his jacket he had laid over the back of the chair.

"Okay, Gibson, how about I buy— this time. "

"Well then, Yank, I'd say that's a fitting compromise." She smiled, and he mirrored back a grin.

"Great, it's a deal. Let's get moving. I'm gonna have one of these guys pull up every hardware store within a fifty-mile radius and send it to my phone."

On their way out of the conference room, one of the precinct officers shouted.

"Hey, Hodiak!"

Sam stopped, pivoting on his heels.

"I've got Chief Cutler on the phone for you; he says it's important." The officer was holding the phone up in the air, and Sam turned to Stella, snapping his fingers at the last minute interruption.

"Hold on Stell , let me get this." He hurried over to the officer and grabbed the receiver from his hand, "Thanks."

"Yeah, yeah. No problem." The officer said as he busied himself with paperwork.

"Hodiak."

"Sam! Shit, I tried, but it looks like Interpol wants in on the action. They sent one of their own, Jim, something-or-other."

Sam shook his head and looked over to Stella; she was stoic as ever. He wondered how she would handle being sent a babysitter. He suspected not very well.

"You there, Sam."

"Yeah, sorry, you know Stella isn't gonna like this. Heck, Ed, I don't like it." He continued, fidgeting with his tie as he spoke, "When's he arriving?"

"Tonight. He's taking a cab to the hotel. Same hotel as Stella."

"Ah, fuck Ed." glancing at Stella, he flashed her a half-hearted smile. She returned what looked like a suspicious smile, then pulling out her own phone from her pocket, began to read the screen. Sam turned his back to her trying to focus on his conversation with Ed.

"Yeah, I know Sam. Look, just catch this guy…" Sam rolled his eyes remembering what he and Stella had said earlier about that phrase, "….and we can all shake hands, play nice and send them back across the pond."

Sam grimaced at Ed's crassness but decided now wasn't the time to argue. He just wanted to get off the phone and get back to Stella. Speaking of Stella, he turned around and noticed her countenance had changed. She seemed upset.

Something was up.

The phone was already halfway from his face when he ended the conversation. "Yeah, I will check in with you later, Ed."

Sam hung up the phone.

He walked over to Stella. She had her arms crossed and her phone in one hand, tapping it at her hip. She stared at him, then she lifted the phone and showed him the message she had received only moments before. It was an alert, letting her know she was getting 'backup.'

He could tell she wasn't happy; he knew the feeling of being second-guessed and watched after; but he suspected Stella had it much worse. Law enforcement, after all, was still very much a good ole-boys club.

"Stella, I…."

Sam put his hands in his pockets. Took a deep breath, "I'm not going to pretend to know what's going on in your head—but if it's worth anything, I know you're more than capable, and I for one am grateful to have you on this with me."

Silence fell between them, and Stella doing what she did best, removed herself from the tense situation—turned around and headed for the front door. He followed, keeping a respectful distance, but making sure he didn't take his eyes off her. He wanted to offer her space but at the same time, he wanted to be available to her as soon as she was ready to talk.

They made their way through the parking lot. She could hear Sam's footsteps behind her. She was grateful he wasn't trying to fix or interpret what she was feeling but she needed a distraction. Jim had been nothing but a thorn in her side. The thought of him being around her again made her ill.

Jim Burns was one mistake after another.

She mistakenly had an affair with him in the past, she mistakenly trusted him with her career, and she mistakenly thought he was out of her life for good; that was until now. She knew he'd taken a job at Interpol, supervising international crime relations between the United States and Europe, but she never imagined he'd be in her life again and under these circumstances.

"I'm…I am, just gobsmacked, Sam."

He nodded.

She wanted to unleash her frustrations on him, but something about him grounded her. She was standing by the passenger door of the SUV. She closed her eyes and practiced a few rounds of box breathing.

He stood by, hands on his hips, waiting.

She opened her eyes, looking up at Sam, "Tell me now, Sam."

Distraction.

"Tell you what?" he said, a confused look on his face at her half-detailed utterance.

"Fun. Tell me what you like to do for fun, what you really like."

Her voice cracked slightly as she held back tears. Tears birthed from frustration at the lack of control she had over the current situation.

Sam could tell she was upset; if he hadn't known it prior to her crimson checks and watery eyes, he certainly knew it now. He pondered her question again, and while he knew exactly what he wanted to say, words didn't seem enough. He grabbed her hand gently. "C'mon," and led her around to the back of the large black SUV, shielding them from the view of the station. Stella leaned against the vehicle, and he moved closer to her person.

Sam dropped his hand from hers and tucked a golden strand of hair behind her ear. He smiled curiously at her, and without a word, tilted his head down. A slight hesitation let Stella know he was waiting for an indication if she was willing to accept his offer. Without pause, she used one of his belt loops to pull him in closer.

His entire body consuming her space.

Sam smiled one last time, his nose within inches of hers. An invitation she willingly took.

Their lips met in a fervent kiss, inhaling one another as their mouths explored new territory. Stella's hands moved toward his chest, and she grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer to her. His legs pushed against her, and her hips bucked at their shared proximity. Her desire to dominate was clouded by his touch. One of Sam's hands was steady against the SUV, while the other was at her hips, then at the small of her back, pulling her in while his tongue surveyed her mouth. She drank him in, using her own tongue as a weapon of desire.

His hand steadily moved up her back, and he could feel her warm flesh through her silk shirt. He hadn't felt this way about anyone in a long time and while the notion of kissing his new partner in a police station parking lot wasn't exactly rational behavior, he didn't care. He only cared about the woman in front of him and giving her whatever she needed. And something told him she needed him.

He didn't want to stop, but his dick was almost past the 'too hard to hide' stage, and he had to reluctantly slow the kiss down. Stella moaned at the loss of momentum.

"Don't stop," she commanded, moving into him as she took one last sweep of his lips, biting and sucking at his bottom lip.

"Shit, Stell..." Sam gruffly responded. Her breath hitched at his tone and the use of his new endearment for her. Her center tingled.

He continued their faces still inches apart.

"Trust me; I don't want to stop. But right now, my dick is so hard I'm pretty sure Ed could see it from his office in LA."

Stella let out a small laugh; leaning her head into his chest she reached down with one hand to assess the damage. Brushing his bulge softly with her fingers, the wetness at her center increased as she stroked his cock. It was Sam's turn to moan.

"Ah, yes. I do see you have a rather large problem."

Stella looked up at him, and before she could try and convince him that stopping wasn't an option, he opened the back door with one hand, holding it open– he motioned with his head for her to get in, obliging—she took a seat in the back.

Sam grabbed behind her knees and gently pulled her center closer to him, tipping her along the back seat cushions.

Sam scooted his legs closer to the edge of the car door frame; he reached in and unzipped Stella's pants revealing black sheer panties; he palmed her sex, teasing her. Stella thrusted her center into his hand. She was wet, gloriously wet. His cock begged to be released, but he wanted this to be about her. About Stella. It was always going to be about her. He knew the moment he saw her get off the plane.

He slowly moved his finger inside the sheer fabric, circling her folds, and she arched her back, resting her hands over her head, clenching the back seat. Her eyes closed, and she moaned as he invaded every inch of her; one… two…three…fingers, manipulating in and out of her wet pussy.

Panting, "Don't st…st…op. Please." Followed by another moan, and Sam delighted in her vocal affirmations.

As he continued to move Stella closer to the edge a fellow officer spotted Sam from the front passenger side window and waved.

Playing it cool, Sam waved back with his free hand, leaving his other hand inside of her. Not stopping, he took his thumb and rubbed Stella's clit. He was deep inside her, and she rocked as he found her pleasure point, pressing and rubbing all three fingers inside her warm, soft center.

Sam knew that Stella was hidden from view, so when the officer finally passed by the front of the SUV, Sam merely nodded nonchalantly as he continued to quietly finger fuck, Stella.

The motion of Sam's thumb working in tandem with his hand pushed her toward the edge. Sam felt her walls tighten around his fingers, and he pressed his thumb into the base of her clit. Her legs tightened around his hand and he pushed even deeper, turning his knuckle upright and thrusting it in and out of her warm pussy.

"Fuck Sam. I'm going to come."

Sam smiled and watched her as she moved her hips up and down, rocking with his hand inside her.

"That's it. That's my strong Stella."

She pushed harder, and she grabbed his hand, pressing it deeper still. Stella sat up, bringing her face to face with him; she moved her lips within inches from his, whispering,

"Finger fuck me hard. Harder."

Stella rode his hand to the edge of her desire, and he braced himself, holding on to the rim of the car door. He worked her to the point of no return; her other hand clenched the driver-side headrest as she climaxed, coming all over his hand.

She panted into his mouth, her warm breath, sweet with desire, "Switch with me."

Sam moved his hand from her wet center, and before he could do anything, Stella unzipped his pants.

"Stella, wait."

But she ignored him; taking his hard cock into her hands, she stroked him slowly at first, then gripping him tighter, she quickened her pace. He'd done some crazy shit in his life, but engaging in illicit sexual behavior with his gorgeous partner in the parking lot of a police station reached new heights. His mind was on fire, and before he could do anything else, Stella crouched down and took his cock into her mouth. The warmth of her mouth around his cock sent chills from the base of his neck straight to his balls. It took everything in him not to grab the back of her head, so instead, he clenched the top of the car door frame.

She was amazing-moving her tongue around his shaft then grazing the base of his head with her teeth. It didn't take much—he was already close. She took her hand and rubbed at the base of his penis.

"Stell.. fuck, im gonna come. I can't hold it."

Her voice vibrated off his dick as she hummed along the length of him, moving her mouth deeper still, grazing the back of her throat. She closed her lips harder around his cock and moved her mouth up and down keeping her hand at the base of his dick. Her hand and her mouth worked together pushing him to his orgasm. His release was intense, and Stella swallowed every ounce of him.

"That was amazing. You are amazing." Sam whispered, speaking to Stella as his hands dropped to her cheeks.

She was still collecting all of him and his hips jerked as she slowly sucked and moved her lips from his still sensitive dick. Stella pushed herself back and adjusted her clothing. She gave Sam a small smile and then stepped over the middle console making her way to the front passenger seat.

He slowly tucked himself back into his pants, still oozing from aftershock. He took a minute, processing the euphoric event he just shared with Stella. He looked around the parking lot, so sure he would be confronted at any moment, but there was no one within miles. Letting out a sigh of relief, he closed the back door and walked around to the driver side-getting in carefully.

He glanced over to Stella, she was staring straight ahead. He wasn't concerned with her demeanor; he was a fast learner in the school of Stella. He chuckled to himself and started the SUV, the only thing louder than the engine was the AC set to high; which he was grateful for considering both of them were significantly damp with sweat from their afternoon delight.

As he drove out of the parking lot, Stella reached over and put her hand on his forearm.

"Would you mind if we stopped for a bite to eat first? I'm suddenly famished."

"Not at all; I'd be happy too. I've seemed to work up an appetite myself."

"Hmm, yes, you did. Oh, and Sam…"

"Yeah?"

"...It's Gibson at work, Stell in more…," clearing her throat and smoothing her hands on her pants, "...intimate settings."

Nodding, he couldn't help but smirk.

"Got it. Gibson ."