Author Note: I got this idea while listening to "Cruisin" by Smokey Robinson and added a couple reviewer suggestions while I was at it. :)
I received a funny review back in ch 55 that I've been patiently waiting to use... somewhere. I hope she has a good laugh if she reads it.
The eternal struggle.
Red Reddington grappled with it this very night. He watched the night sky deepen in hue as it slipped from nautical to astronomical twilight. A range of blue fading from deep aqua to indigo merged effortlessly into the inky black of the heavens.
His calm eyes shifted, taking in the warm glow of soft light from the city tucked in the valley of the majestic mountains. The orange radiance also fading into the dark edges of night.
Pressing a button, the overhead sunroof slid back, giving him a quick unfettered view of the blanket of stars twinkling merrily overhead, the edge of the Milky Way highlighting the tail end of a shooting star.
A breathtaking night... with a breathtaking woman.
He glanced sideways, his thoughts on the silence of the woman beside him as she too, took in the resplendent beauty.
Usually, Lizzy was a chatterbox of questions, suppositions and endless inquiries.
He couldn't gauge her mood.
Elongated shadows swept over the road as the white headlights moved along trees, road signs and the occasional mailbox.
The yellow hint of reflectors and the eyes of creatures tucked away into the heavy brush, shown brightly as they traveled further away from civilization and deeper into the darkness ahead.
His futile brain ticked away. It wasn't easy keeping a woman, any woman... entertained. For what Red had in mind, he would have to be especially creative because this woman was... unique, well worth the effort.
But it was more than that even.
Red enjoyed the challenge presented, plain and simple.
He managed to sate Lizzy's appetite for food. He too enjoyed the fare but... his appetite was running towards the baser things in life now.
Red shifted into a more comfortable position, his pants too restrictive on a certain part of his anatomy.
The short skirt the woman wore lay woefully neglected, the fabric rising far too high on the captivating cream of Lizzy's exposed thighs.
The flimsy material draped provocatively into the crest between her legs.
He wanted to reach over, run his fingers into that neat little slot. Feel the warm flesh between those heated little thighs.
But... he hoped he had more finesse... more maturity than to simply 'cop a feel', like some teenage boy on his first...
An idea sparked.
Red slid a calculating glance to the pretty averted profile, his mind ticking away.
But... would she pick up on the role? It could fail dismally... explode in his face.
That was part of the thrill... the unknown, wasn't it?
"What time is it?" he murmured aloud.
The woman jostled from her musings instinctively glancing at the sleek dashboard. This thing rivaled a cockpit of an aircraft. It not only displayed a digital readout of the time but the temperature, their location and knowing Red... the trajectory of outbound missiles he may have illegally obtained.
"Eleven twenty-three." she turned quizzical eyes his way.
"We're gonna be late..."
Liz watched his profile for some sign, "Late?"
Red turned a lazy stare her way, "The curfew your dad set for us."
He watched the expressions flit across the pretty face as she... processed.
"Oh my God!" the startlement, the wide-eyed shock... all perfection. "You turn this car around and head home this very instant."
"Well..." he flicked the lights down, easing the SUV past the cabin with expert precision causing the least amount of noise on the graveled pavement, "I would love to do that..." he turned woeful eyes her way, his face managing a 'sorry 'grimace, "...but."
"Don't you dare tell me we've run out of gas!" she dared him to do so, her body facing him squarely now, hand on her shapely hips.
Red clicked off the engine, the lights dying down almost instantly, the white light fading, leaving them in the dark.
"I filled it up, baby." he spread apologetic hands, "I don't know what the problem is... it's been sluggish the past few miles." the man fabricated the tale easily, "I'm afraid to push the engine too hard right now. Might overheat..."
Liz looked over the steering wheel and dash as if, by doing so, she could will the car to 'go'.
"You're the guy... do something." she chided.
"I am." Red assured easily. "I'm letting the engine cool down." he motioned. "It will probably be good to go in a few minutes."
"We don't have a few minutes." she clicked the digital readout with a well-manicured nail as a reminder.
"Hey, your dad knows this old jalopy is temperamental sometimes." Red debated artfully. "He trusts me to take care of you if anything happens... and I will."
Liz slid him an amused look, "Does he..." she stated teasingly.
"Don't get bent out of shape." the waitresses' words coming to mind. "It's a cool night. I've wanted to show you this secluded, private spot for some time now. I've never shared it with anyone before."
Liz's amusement grew, "I'll bet."
"God's own truth." Red held up his hand. If he had a bible, he would have sworn on it, his look said as much.
Liz thought briefly. What had Red Reddington been like as a gauche, young teenager? She couldn't see past the debonair, confident exterior he exuded as a man.
"We might as well get comfortable." the man in question glanced at the back seat of the car. "...More room back there." he indicated with a nod of his head.
"You're joking, right?" this game was getting out of hand quickly and while Liz held no objections to ending the evening on a high note... the comfort of the cabin's king-size bed was calling out to her.
Red pushed at the interior doors, having flicked the switch to the overhead lights before attempting the feat.
He walked casually about the car, popping the hatch, allowing the unseasonably warm wind inside.
"All the comforts of home." he lowered one side of the seats with an effortless push of a button.
"I am not getting back there." she turned about, crossing her arms over her chest.
Red sighed. She was going to make him work for this one.
All the better.
"Aww, baby, don't be like that." he sat on the bumper. "What's the deal? We can't sit back sit back here and look at the stars while the engine cools down?"
Liz scooted back around, her expression a thoughtful one, "Well... I guess that would be okay." she exited the car, careful of her bare feet in the tall grass, joining him in time.
Red converted the back area into one large space by now, offering his hand as the woman came around the end of the car, "See? It's beautiful out here."
He encompassed the starry night sky with its myriad of stars shimmering down.
"It is." she sat comfortably on the bumper, bracing her hands on either side of her body. "It really is."
"Reminds me of you." he took a shot looking down at her face in the waning moonlight...
"That's so sweet of you to say." she played her part, managing to look aside shyly.
He unclipped his weapon, discretely sitting it aside. She pretended not to notice. "It's how I think of you," he mentioned in passing, giving his full attention. "I think of you a lot."
"Do you?" she queried. "Were you thinking of me when that car hop was making eyes at you?" she improvised.
"Baby, she is nowhere in your league." he disgruntled. "She looked a little like you... brunette, passably pretty..."
Liz shot him her own disgruntled look.
"You are more than passably pretty. I meant," he offered hastily, his eyes roaming her silhouette freely, "with a killer body."
She stretched back, presenting her breasts in a much better light, "Really?"
"I dream about that body." he put just the right amount of angst in his delivery.
"...You just want me to put out." she snubbed his efforts.
Loosening his tie, he pulled the slip of silk, tossing it beside them.
"Where would you get such an idea?" he moved decidedly closer, his gaze a suggestive one as it traveled the ripe body. "It's just that... for a guy," he sing-songed his head, "... it's hard."
Well, that was a true statement if ever there was one.
Liz checked to see if he was telling the truth as well. She kept her gaze pinned.
"We have all these things happening in our bodies and..." he remembered back long, long ago, "it's easier for you women, I guess."
Liz leaned on her elbow, measuring the length of his play toy. "You think so?"
"Must be." Red held his smile for the bold way she was looking at his hard-on. "You turn it on and off so easily."
"I know what you're doing." she lifted a sultry stare. "You want to get in my pants."
"You're wearing a skirt... technically." he helpfully pointed out.
His fingers brushed the flowing material to prove his point.
"And I don't want that at all." his eyes told her how much it was taking for him to sit here, making idle talk. "I just want us to be... closer."
"How much... closer?" she leaned to his chest provocatively, her breath fanning his face smelling of cinnamon.
"I've been thinking about the last time, that's all." his finger traced the edge of her skirt. "You let me feel you..."
"Only a little," she pouted, "through my blouse."
"You got me so hot." he curved his hand about her hip, drawing her into his sphere, "I ached all night, baby," his tongue slipped expertly into the slightly parted mouth. His arms pulling her close to finish the kiss to his satisfaction, "...just like now."
"There was nothing wrong with what we did."
"Oh, I know that, sweetheart." he gently lay her back, his arms cradling her body lovingly. "You know I'd never pressure you." his palm brought the hem of her skirt higher as he pressed his body half-on, half off her slender form. "I'll only go as far as you want. I swear to, God."
Liz looked above her wondering how she got into this prone position so very quickly. She was more than slightly amused.
Leaning on his elbow, his thick fingers idly danced over the shapely curves.
He spread his fingers just barely touching the beginning swell of that sweet succulent back-side, "I stopped last time, didn't I? Just like I said?" he coerced her to see things his way.
"Well..." she squirmed her bottom into his waiting palm, "yes... you did."
"Yeah, I did." he cupped the rounded flesh, pushing her into his arousal. "Do you feel that?"
Liz's breath escaped in a soft sigh. She closed her eyes, "...Yes."
"That's what you do to me, each and every time."
"I know but..."
"I'm just saying," he backtracked, his middle finger rubbing teasingly along the crease of her ass. "I love your skin... how it feels all warm and you smell good." he nuzzled the front of her blouse. "So good." he tugged the blouse free of her skirt waistband, joining his lips to hers passionately.
Liz moaned softly, their breaths mingling.
His finger deftly popped the pearl buttons on her top, exposing her bra to his lecherous gaze.
"You shouldn't do that," she whispered in enticement.
"That's like saying," he covered one straining lace covered nipple, his heated breath taking her breath away, "I shouldn't breathe."
Her skin erupted in gooseflesh for his antics and she lifted her mounds for his ministrations, groaning a breathy sigh.
Her tiny pink areolas strained against the white lace of her bra. The alabaster flesh pushing at the confinement, the heavy mounds overfilling the low cups with every breath she took.
Red ran his hand along the slender collarbone, his fingers sliding between the warm valley. The creamy mounds rubbed against his fingertips.
"You are better than a damned pin-up," he recalled a few of those in his time as well. "Every man's fantasy..." he murmured quietly, "my fantasy."
Red's scowl was fixed and concentrated as he stared longingly at the beginning swirl of amber circle his handiwork produced.
It was almost better than the real thing... partially seeing the beauty he knew the lace hid.
...Almost.
Liz's heart thumped wildly, the ache between her legs surged, an overwhelming heat settling in her abdomen.
Fiddling with the buttons on his shirt she finally pulled them free. She loved the feel of his bared flesh pressed against hers.
He barely touched her lips, his mouth emitting hot, heavy breaths, canceling out all coherent thought.
It was as if he was denying her full access which maddened her senses. She strained nearer, trying to fulfill the need his actions caused.
Red's fingers spread, traveling the slope of her spine until he encountered the ridge of the lace bra.
With one expert flick, the elastic bunched from the weight of her heavy mounds, freeing them from confinement.
Red's hand slid under her blouse, taking the unresisting cup of the bra in its wake until he felt the stiff tip puckering against his palm.
The pliant orb bobbed erotically having been freed.
Liz moaned appreciatively, grunting as his experienced fingers gently rolled, tweaked, explored the wonder of her body.
With each touch, she trembled expectantly, her moans becoming a melodious symphony to the man's ears.
He leaned, shaping the tiny nub teasingly with his tongue, his breath washing over the ripe melon. He palmed the full soft breast, kneading it tenderly.
Liz's fingers threaded the back of his nape, holding him firm to his pastime. In doing so, she forced the quivering nub of her nipple into his waiting exploration.
She arched her throat, groaning rapturously as his hot hollow engulfed her flesh.
Red drew on the distended peak lasciviously, all his yearning expressed in that one simple movement.
"You've–" Liz breathed her awe, "never done this before."
"I've wanted to," he was falling more into his role, feeling very much like an oversexed teenager right now.
He wanted to see her nakedness, to recall the experience of a young man looking at his first Playboy centerfold, "I want to... feel you up so badly."
"W-What does that mean?" Liz's center strained with the ache of the reality of the meaning. Every inch of her body, calling out for his touch.
Red ran his hand up the outside of her leg, transferring deftly but unhurriedly to the opposite thigh, pushing the appendage apart.
Liz closed her legs, a Herculean task feeling as she did, "No!" she pouted up at him.
"I'm just showing you." Red's eyes told her, he knew she wanted to be persuaded. "You asked what I meant."
"I don't want to know." she was being totally unreasonable, and she knew it but... hey, he wanted to play.
She hoped his patience would withstand the test. There was no way in hell she would not experience Red Reddington tonight.
Red returned his interest elsewhere, trying a frontal assault.
He captured the rosy bud, his tongue flicking rapidly over the more than sensitive skin, the gentle tug diligent for some few moments.
Lizzy's legs loosened with each passing sweep of his tongue, drawing a soft breathy moan from his lover's chest.
His nose nuzzled the lacy garment out of his way. He made certain his hand did not move an inch on her thigh.
Liz unconsciously squeezed her thighs almost rhythmically. She was not aware of doing so but the rising ache in her core dictated her behavior.
Red Reddington was aware, however. His eyes traveled the bared expanse of the full, ripe melons he uncovered.
"You are beautiful, baby." his tone low and affected.
"Ohh!" Liz gasped, crossing her arms over her nudity in the age-old gesture of feminine modesty.
"Don't hide from me." that rough, gravelly tone caused a ripple of anticipation to traverse her body.
He gently captured one small wrist, his eyes holding hers easily.
"Didn't you like it?" he provoked purposely, she knew. "When I sucked on your nipples?"
Her nipples stiffened painfully.
"Y-Yes." she confessed breathlessly unable to pull her eyes from those all-seeing orbs that stared back at her.
She could feel that motionless hand laying so still and innocently poised between her legs.
The need to squeeze her thighs and writhe until this fucking ache subsided was a growing need...she wanted his hand to move higher still until he finally touched...
And what was worse... Red Reddington knew exactly what she was feeling.
"It felt good," his eyes measured her hands more so, then what they attempted to cover, "...didn't it?"
His lack of finesse amused him but there was something to be said about the straight and to the point strategy as well.
Lizzy's thighs had gapped considerably with the past few seconds.
He itched to inch his hands... higher.
"...It felt... okay." she had to shift her eyes at such an enormous lie. It felt phenomenal.
Taking the slight in his stride for he knew it was a lie, Red lifted her wrist when she resisted, he stubbornly tightened his efforts, achieving his goal. His mouth descended.
"No.." Liz felt, at that moment as if she missed her calling, "... don't." she could have been a passable actress, "Stop..."
If he did. She would kill him.
Red's lips and tongue quieted her protests instantly. His hand cupped her breast passionately, the nimble fingers working their magic.
In seconds, Liz was mewing contentedly like a little kitten.
Teenage boys, while crude and unrefined, were on the right track... get to the good stuff with as little fuss and bother as possible.
Red suckled, teased and bit on the delicious treat he found, taking Lizzy's mind off his true objective.
His palm began a featherlike advancement up her thigh, dancing over her silky skin.
He transferred some much-needed attention to her forgotten breast, shifting his weight, his leg thrown carelessly into the chasm he created between her legs.
Liz pushed weakly on his chest, mewing her protests but he hastily squelched that denial.
His index finger stroked the entire length of her center, pressing just enough to feel the outline beneath that damp material which covered his prize... if he played the game correctly.
Liz whimpered her delight.
"I love sucking your tits." a little of the baser needs he was experiencing surfaced. He enjoyed the freedom to be blunt, disguising the bumbling blurts of a teenage boy. "I could do it all night and not get enough."
Liz hesitantly lowered the barrier between them, her fingers stroking his neckline seductively, sending shivers of pleasure along the man's back and arms.
"It feels good," he needed to hear it, "doesn't it, baby." he coaxed the woman to his way of thinking.
"G-God, yes." she wasn't sure if she meant his ministrations to her breasts or... other parts to which he attended.
His thumb slipped under the lace of her panties, running a constant back-and-forth beat across the all too sensitive wetness he found.
"W-We can't do this." her voice lacked any real conviction she knew. She willed her legs to close but... it felt so very good. His touch, the grunts of delight he emitted from time to time.
"Just a little longer, baby." Red asked, his husky voice strained with need. His thumb passed teasingly over her clit to sway her decision.
An electric jolt shot through her body for his antics. She moaned her gratitude.
Red brushed her lips fleetingly with his own, refusing any real connection as yet.
He was driving her over the edge.
Her entire body was tuned to the man's every whim, truth known.
Liz's pride kept her in the game.
She tried to close her legs. She would show him...
"I can make you feel so good." he rasped, his middle finger slipping into the hot cavern of her sex.
"Ohh!" Liz's legs fell apart.
The skirt was bunched far above her legs now, the fabric laying on her abdomen.
Red took the time to glance at his domain.
"Jesus..." he breathed amorously at the sight.
The startling white lace of her panties lay against the contrast of her skin. Tiny bows trimmed the waistband lining her hip bone. He thought that was so cute.
His took in the dark thatch of hair that lay beneath and the shapely gap in her thighs.
A gap he would soon fill.
He kept his finger very still. A smile spreading, when he felt Lizzy slide her body provocatively up and down the filler.
He put a stop to that immediately, removing his finger from inside her body.
"No!" Liz gasped her shock, bereft suddenly, her eyes flying open.
Hooking the delicate lace, he pushed it aside, his eyes taking in the soft fluff covering her labia.
He grunted deep in his throat, thrilled by the sight. He traced the dark thatch of hair shadowed beneath the flimsy lingerie.
Liz felt the cool air on her exposed genitals wanting him so badly. Crying out for fulfillment only he could give.
Her fingers brushed the hair on his chest feeling the hardened muscles flex under the wealth of curly hair.
The pebble of his nipple tightened noticeably.
A tingling thrill shot through Liz at the realization. She was affecting him as much as he was her.
"I don't think we should–"
His fingertip teasingly circled her slickness, causing a well of cream to trickle from the area.
Liz gasped, her body on fire.
Her brow furrowed critically when she felt that finger reenter her, inching into the creamy depths.
A searing ache spread through her sex in response.
She moaned piteously, despair washing over her as he withdrew his gift.
"Shh..." the man soothed quietly, peppering her neckline with small kisses. "Shh, baby." he breathed out, his tongue gingerly flicking her rosy mouth, searching and connecting soundly at length.
Inching his way back into the tight hole, he gently pumped his finger into the rippled tunnel.
He increased the passion of his kiss, his thumb passing laboriously over her clitoris.
Dipping his head lower, breaking the lascivious kiss, he gently nipped the little nub. His tongue danced erotically over the tortured peak, his breath hot and heavy.
He did not feel like a teen any longer. He felt like a man... with a man's wants and needs.
Red nuzzled his nose into the fragrant valley between the plump breasts, his fingers catching the top of her panties.
His hardness had grown by leaps and bounds.
He desperately needed an outlet.
He left the succulent feast her breast supplied, following an agonizingly indolent, invisible path, marking her ribs and tummy as he went, staking his claim.
He tugged the panties, his thumb hooking the material, easing it down, managing to persuade her to lift her hips. The delicate lace slid over the shapely bottom. Red was determined to reach his objective.
Liz realized his intent, her heat rising to volcanic proportions.
A hasty hand snaked out, covering his intended target but already her body was crying out for capitulation.
She felt carpet against her bare flesh, wondering at his abilities.
She didn't even remember the incident.
Raising to his knees, Red gradually unzipped the front of his slacks taking in the sight of the white lace wrapped about her thighs.
Liz watched, transfixed, "I...you can't do that." she breathed her growing excitement.
"Actually," he was working his belt, his movement efficient and unhurried, "I can do it... very well." the man's husky voice strained.
Liz knew that was no lie.
"I mean..." she faltered, something coming to mind, "I... I didn't... you know," she bid him to look, her fingers spreading revealing just enough to tantalize, "...shave or... anything."
The soft fluff of her curls bristled quietly as it was revealed to his gaze.
The tight damp flesh of the pink mons beckoned him.
His tongue darted out, wetting his parched lips. His cock twitched painfully in his trousers at the idea of taking her in his mouth, tasting the delectable treat.
He unconsciously rubbed the ache in his cock.
Liz watched the hard bulge move this way and that with his maneuver.
The small hand deliberately covered his sight once again.
A disgruntled sound from his throat caused a blush of pleasure on Liz's cheeks.
"We are moving so fast." her tone was velvety soft. "Maybe–"
"Move your hand." he gritted, his eyes holding a burning flame.
She captured her lip with her teeth, biting at the flesh. She loved when he was masterful...
"I don't want you to be... disappointed."
Red breathed in her scent in the clear mountain air, his system attuned, his blood heating.
He clenched his jaw, "Then... move your hand." he took her wrist, accomplishing the task himself.
Liz waited, her nerves alive and tingling.
Red's eyes surveyed his territory, "You are stunning," he growled deeply, "just the way you are."
He traced the neatly trimmed bush, his gaze lingering... possessive.
Liz flushed, breathing out shakily.
She knew the game had come to an end.
This was Red Reddington standing... kneeling before her.
All male... confident... all-consuming.
His fingers threaded through the small hairs he played in, his heart thudding hard in his chest.
"I love this," he continued to gaze upon her, his tone soft, "so beautiful... so feminine." he seemed entranced by the alluring vision.
His fingers danced lightly over the slippery little surface, petting the soft, dark curls.
Sensing... hearing how much her body turned Red on made her quiver inside.
"When I think of you, I think of sex," he admitted, "in its most natural... primitive state."
The low intense tone thrilled her no end.
The light eyes lifted sensually, "You are the sexiest woman I have ever encountered."
"...It lacks sensation." she felt bold and adventurous suddenly. Wanting desperately to live up to his words. "When I... masturbate."
Her fingers filtered with his over the tiny bristles of hair.
Red watched the process, his chest heaving laboriously.
"I want to watch that." his throat was parched. He had barely been able to get the words out.
His fingers trembled.
"I need to... see it." those eyes took her breath away. Liz flushed with heat, not embarrassment.
He passed his thumb over her clit adding pressure here and there, "Promise me something." he whispered seductively.
Liz moved into his touch, "W-What?" her concentration was off. What was it he wanted?
His hand slid her panties past her thighs. They rested at her ankles.
Red measured the different hues if the beautiful flesh, captivated. "Promise me..." he leaned, his nose trailing gently along her inner thigh.
He felt Lizzy jolt at his touch.
Flitting his tongue over the silky flesh of that thigh, he tugged the lace hindrance off her legs, his tone rough with involvement.
"...You won't touch this." he grunted luxuriously, her scent alluring, drawing him closer, "It's mine." he leaned, making himself comfortable between her spread legs.
Liz gasped sharply, not having realized the man had advanced that far.
"It belongs to me, Elizabeth." as if to prove his point, his tongue snaked out, flicking teasingly over her clit.
She shivered, a searing heat running through her veins. She moaned her encouragement.
"Promise." his voice was almost scolding. He undulated his tongue about his favorite spot moaning deeply as a burst of scent and taste inundated his senses.
Liz's entire body shuddered, a weak groan of acquiescence escaped her parted, panting lips.
"I... p-promise." she whispered, parting her legs to give better access.
Red inserted his middle finger into the molten depths, feeling her response.
Liz lifted her bottom gratefully into the gentle pumping, grasping for a stay hold of equilibrium.
"Good girl." his voice rumbled with sensuality.
The man groaned as his slick finger slid free of her tight hold and against his tongue, gifting him with her sweet essence, "Very good..."
The man shouldered closer nudging her creamy thighs further apart, caressing, searching, exploring the vulnerable flesh.
The sensation of his tongue gently parting her folds... the five o'clock shadow on his face brushing tantalizingly against her over-sensitive skin.
His hot, welcome breath stimulated, excited her to new heights.
Her sex tightened deliciously, a sharp agonizing pang of liquid heat traveled through her center in waves.
She trembled with repressed desire.
The man's lips moved erotically in a sensual rhythm, his tongue matching the action.
He was kissing her center very much the same way he did her mouth.
Tears pricked her eyes. He was caressing her so tenderly... so lovingly... down there.
He lifted, placing a tender kiss on the peak of her sex.
Liz stared at the man, her chin quivering uncontrollably. She was deeply affected... more than she thought she would ever be.
She sniffed quietly, unable to control her turbulent emotions.
Red hesitated, lifting from his pastime, his eyes meeting hers.
He sensed a problem, her face confirming his hypothesis, "...What's wrong?"
He was instantly concerned, his body tensing.
Dammit!
He abruptly realized... he wasn't playing the game. He dropped the ball somewhere along the way but...
"Nothing's wrong." Liz sniffed once again, her smile quivering, the small chin lifting.
Red tenderly, carefully eased his finger free.
The blue eyes misted with tears of joy for his tenderness.
"Baby..." Red's senses were telling him something else. He gently smoothed her hair back, his eyes searching her face religiously, "what did I do?" he was at a loss, a first for him. "Did I hurt you?"
He searched her person hastily for signs.
"You're making love to me." Liz suddenly realized.
The game stopped yes, but somewhere along the line, it evolved... at least on Red Reddington's part.
"What a lovely thing, Red." she misted again, "the way you were... touching me."
"What are you–" he shook his head, agitated somewhat.
"It was so gentle..." she remembered, her love and affection for the man growing by leaps and bounds, "so... loving."
To say Red was confused was an understatement. His face showed as much.
He ran a restless hand over his head.
The large blue eyes rested on him, long lashes spiked with wetness, framing the deep azure depths... taking his breath away.
He relaxed, comprehension dawning.
Lizzy had moved past the game as well. It had just taken a little longer.
Sensations and emotions were heightened to the extreme.
If you immersed yourself in the game... the role, coming out of the moment was difficult.
Emotions strong enough to break the spell shook one to the core.
He leaned, brushing her mouth, a small smile lightening his features.
She had felt when his emotions changed, morphed into a raw, urgent need.
But she also felt his reserve, his need to take the utmost care with her emotions.
No matter the cost to his own system.
It was second nature to Red, but he was gratified Lizzy recognized his efforts.
"I would hope, this is not the first instance you have felt... how very much you move me," he stated almost absently, his emotions still involved with the need to connect physically with the woman.
"It was different." she was certain.
"Each time..." he nodded minutely, "is different. Because you allow more of your true self through."
She was befuddled, "What do you–"
"Your walls are dropping but then..." he lifted a subdued brow, "so are mine, I suppose."
"Is that what I felt?" she was enthralled and a little frightened. Could she handle Red Reddington with all his many-faceted traits and darkly brooding emotions... that he kept hidden from others.
"I am falling in love with you more and more as each day passes," he stated so simply, it shocked her senses.
Red's love revealed itself in tiny increments a deep abiding emotion, which she believed to be genuine and steadfast.
"Whether that is a good thing or bad, remains to be seen," he muttered.
"I don't understand."
"It's a good thing for me." he quipped. "You will have to decide on your own if I am worth the trouble."
She relaxed a bit, kissing him languidly.
Red always tasted of the most delightful things. Exotic liqueurs, expensive tobacco, delicious chocolate truffles... always wondrous substances.
Tonight, even with his previous pastime... it was spearmint gum. She had not seen him chewing any sort of gum this evening. The man was an enigma who made her smile wistfully... an amazing puzzle to fit together, a mystery to be solved.
The hesitancy of her kiss brought a smile, "Is the game afoot?"
She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head negatively, "Sometimes I'm just not sure how to... approach you."
He chuckled his delight, "Sans clothing comes to mind... what are you talking about?" he genuinely wanted to know. "I would hope you could 'approach me' at any time, for any reason."
She shook her head. He wasn't getting her meaning, "...I'm in love with you as well."
"Good." he approved whole-heartedly.
"It's a wonderful feeling but..." she cuddled into his arms, snuggling to him, "it scares me too."
Red's eyes smiled. He planted a kiss on her shiny locks, "Any overwhelming emotions oft-times are frightening. Hard to deal with."
He drew back a little, taking in the lovely features, "Are you trying to tell me something?"
Liz wasn't sure how much to confess. What if what he felt was not as deep as her emotions?
"I'm just so glad you want to be with me." she lifted shining eyes. "I'm so glad we're... together."
"That is the singular most important statement anyone has ever made to me." his eyes held hers willfully, a dark glowing ember deep inside, "...Ever, in my existence."
Liz's heart hurt with joy.
She lifted her arms about his neckline, her mouth flowering passionately under his.
"I love you." she sighed her contentment, nuzzling into his neckline, whispering the words.
Red's arms tightened systematically, "I love you more." he chuckled, more than willing to play this particular game.
"I love you to the moon and back." she inhaled his exotic scent, nuzzling into the leathery flesh of his neckline as she nipped him playfully.
"I love you to the depth and breadth..." he had taken a moment to consider his answer.
"Depth and breadth of... what?" she countered, wondering if he would remember the first time he had said this to her? There was no way he could top that moment.
"The depth of God's ability to forgive and the breadth of his awe-inspiring universe."
Liz was shocked by such eloquence.
Red's tongue slipped past the delicate moisture of her lips, his arms tightening on the small of her back.
He pressed her body lovingly to his feeling, a deep tremor run its length.
He broke the kiss, his brow furrowed, "Are you chilled?"
"No..." she whispered, her eyes shining with love for the man.
"Do you want to go home?" It was a two-fold question.
Did she need to go back to the cabin... end this? Or... did she wish to pick up where they left off?
"I want to stay," she traced his face with her loving gaze, "with you."
Red's lips brushed over hers seductively, a gentle sweep, drawing a breathy moan from the woman.
He deepened the kiss second by urgent second, working ardently for more contented sighs.
"Thank the Lord." he growled his relief, settling a knee between her legs, nudging them apart. "'Cause I really... really," he eagerly sucked her neckline, his hot breath titillating, "need this time with you."
Liz mewed breathlessly feeling the rock-solid evidence of his statement nudge her inner thigh.
The heat took only seconds to rise for the man's hands were fanning a flame to life, traveling every inch of her body, stopping in all the right places.
His large palm cupped a bared breast, his thumb eliciting a response from her already straining bud.
She ran a painfully stroking pass over his engorged penis.
He grunted, encouraging such familiarity on her part.
He felt her rapid heartbeat through the full mounds of her breasts cradled so lovingly against his chest, as he slid his fingers over her tumescent clitoris into the hot tunnel awaiting his exploration.
Liz's kisses turned his insides to a quivering mess of jelly.
He pushed offending material of his slacks out of the way, grappling inside the confinement of his boxers to release his painful erection.
The night air brushed enticingly against his heated flesh. His long, thick shaft flexed its freedom, the head throbbing mercilessly.
His thigh gently shoved her legs apart, his eyes molten stones as he surveyed the handiwork he revealed.
Taking himself in hand, he purposely ran his length along Lizzy's slick, slippery labia, watching his progress with avid interest.
Liz's breath was raspy and uneven, her body lifting for his purpose.
He pushed incessantly at the gaping hole, parting the resistant skin teasingly.
Liz jerked, her breasts bobbing luxuriously.
"Let me, baby." he whispered, sliding deliberately along the length of the wet crease at an agonizing pace, testing the sensitive flesh, "...relax."
Did she want the game to resume as well?
Women...
Red sighed mentally. No matter. Whatever it took was what he was going to do.
"It won't hurt." he panted shakily, his muscles quivering with barely contained lust, "Just the tip..."
Were they playing again? Liz felt her abdomen contract in response to the sexy intonation of his voice.
She wanted to please him. Desperately.
"I've... never..." she tested the water, her small hands holding him at bay. It was the very last thing she wanted in reality, but... what the hell.
She lifted doe-eyes slowly, "Well... once or twice with... you know.." her eyes deepened. "I have a few... toys."
"Shit," Red's tone dropped to a sensual caress. "Toys... you say?" it was beyond difficult to speak clearly.
Red's breathing deepened as he listened to the story she wove, the imagery she painted for him. His fists curled tightly, envisioning Lizzy with her hands between her legs, crying out as she brought herself to orgasm.
It was a stunning picture indeed.
And he wanted to play with that vision... wanted to lose himself in the world she created.
She nodded minutely, "Is it the same?"
"Yeah..." he improvised, "the very same. Your toys don't hurt, do they?"
"No," she silkily agreed, "well... what I've been able to use of them." she bat large eyes at the man.
Red groaned deep in his chest, understanding the hint well enough, "Well then... what harm can just the tip of my," he motioned, "...do?"
At any other time, this conversation would amuse him greatly, but right now, all he wanted was to enter her tight hole... fall into the sensual world that was Elizabeth Keen.
He was intelligent enough to know how to accomplish his goal.
He would figure out a way to work himself into her hot, succulent body if it killed him.
"We should stop." she was pretty sure that should be her line along about now. She finally understood why teenage girls had such a difficult time saying 'no'.
Liz moaned hesitantly as Red shifted, the bulbous head passed purposely against her straining vagina.
"Let me." he rasped roughly. "Just the head, baby. It will feel so damned good. I promise."
Her eyes fluttered shut, she offered a tiny gasp. The pressure of the thick head at her center made her wish to obey anything asked of her.
Red moaned lowly as his cock oozed liquid heat, saturating the tiny hole as he prepared her for his coming invasion.
Liz braced her palms on his shoulders, shaking her head minutely... playing her part to the hilt, the blue eyes managed a worried confusion.
"Just relax, baby." Red's voice shook with restrained lust. "I'll do all the work... you won't regret a thing."
Liz knew gospel when she heard it but she still managed to shove weakly against the muscles rippling under her fingertips.
Pushing gently, Red breached the taut labia. He rasped a rather vulgar oath, euphoria rushing through his veins.
The man's head fell back, his eyes closing to the rapturous joining he was about to partake.
"Jesus Christ!" he hissed, the ridge of his head pushing resolutely past the tight ring. He was instantly clamped inside the snug tunnel.
Liz cried out faintly. The sensation a joyous one. One which felt at once both familiar, yet foreign.
She knew it was Red inside her, of course, and yet, the man was so skillful at play-acting, it almost felt as if they actually were some fumbling teenagers... on a country road somewhere secluded and shut off from the entire world.
Which is exactly where she wanted to be... with him.
Red lowered his eyes to the sight of their union. His bulging shaft appeared almost obscene against the small mound he invaded.
Pushing stubbornly against the resistance she was offering, the breathy exclamation of denial tested the man's control.
He knew Lizzy was using her knowledge of the inner workings of his mind against him at this moment.
It made the game so much more challenging.
Why they had fallen back into the scenario, he could not have said.
All Red knew was he was having the time of his life.
Quick short breaths escaped Lizzy's body.
Lips that called out to be kissed by someone who knew how to accomplish the feat, beckoned him.
The woman could not believe how good his penis felt. How very sensitive she was... done there.
The thick head raked against a bundle of nerves he usually by-passed.
She could not stop the continuous stream of gasps and moans the feeling elicited.
It felt... incredible.
It took everything Red had to keep still, to hold back from sliding his length into that luscious caress he knew awaited him.
But the knowledge that... "You like that." edged out his libido's need. His tone sounded edgy and tense even to his own ears.
"...Y-Yes." she whimpered sweetly.
A wave of heat traversed his body for the hesitant acknowledgment. He groaned his gratitude, his palm kneading her breast religiously.
Bracing his body on his outstretched arms, the man swiveled his hips, a purpose in mind.
He watched his head disappear then... reappear with his steady, deliberate and agonizing pace.
His vision blurred momentarily, the emotions too raw as her labia parted and collapsed about his girth.
The lure of her delectable clit tugged gently at his movements. The white fluid of her arousal wetted his head, the silken liquid aiding his efforts.
"Damn." his whispered awe washed over the woman, her reaction intensifying.
"It fills me..." a broken cry escaped her as Liz enveloped herself within the turbulent emotions the man caused, "... so full."
Her tunnel fluttered convulsively as she pushed up to better feel his width but Red held back.
Capturing her chin with his fingers, he tilted her face to watch the chaos he was creating inside the woman's body.
"Let me in." his tone brooked no refusal, "I need to give you my whole cock."
Liz's hot panted breath brushed over his face. The vulgarity somehow heightening the moment for her.
"Every last inch," his fingers shook visibly, his voice a shadowed whisper of repressed desire. "You can take it," he eased down, his features set, "I know you can."
Liz shuddered uncontrollably.
Red grasped her hair in a tight fist, his mouth parting hers hungrily. In seconds, his tongue mimicked the agonizing motion of his cock as he sank deeper and deeper... pausing at each inch gained to acclimate himself to the wonders her body could offer.
Liz was totally taken by surprise as her clit's ache intensified to the extreme. Sudden waves of a strong orgasm grasped her body shaking it to its core.
Flame surged up like quick-silver as the woman cried out her elation.
Red's eyes slid shut for a brief time when she quivered about him. His dark, brooding gaze penetrated hers, his jaw pulsing with checked reserve.
The man's jaw shifted into a tight hold, his breathing labored... his chest heaving visibly.
"Tell me you want it." nothing else would suffice, his impassioned statement left no room for debate.
Liz's eyes measured him languidly. What she 'wanted' was to give him as much of herself as the man had shared.
She had been waiting for his control to snap... for him to reach his limits as she had done seconds earlier.
She forgot with whom she was dealing with but yet maybe...even Red Reddington had a breaking point.
Testing her theory, Liz wriggled about under him, her movements sliding his cock farther into her body.
"Son of a..." he snarled, his hand grasping those mischievous hips to still their actions, "bitch!"
She blinked innocently, wondering if that word had been directed at her.
"You want to play?" he asked tightly. "We can do that, Elizabeth."
She felt reprimanded, like a naughty school girl who had been displeased her Professor.
What a delicious feeling.
"Answer me!" Red growled harshly, pulling back deliberately, she knew, denying his own needs. "Say... the fucking words."
His crown slid purposely against her clitoris giving added incentive.
Liz sighed her contentment, lifting into the seductive touch.
But Red pulled back, beads of perspiration visible on his temples.
She was affecting him. It was enough... more than... enough.
"Yes," she whispered almost eagerly.
"Yes... what?" he demanded.
"I want you inside me." she gasped brokenly. "Deep...inside." she could almost feel the 'width and breadth' of him. "I want to feel you."
"You will, honey." he panted his relief, his entire system attuned to her every wish now, "It's so fucking hard for you."
Diligently pumping his hips, he finally inched his ramrod cock deep into the tiny crevice, spreading her gradually.
Liz's brow furrowed. She expected him to slide home. He earned the reward after all.
Her orgasm left her slick as hell, primed and ready for a proper connection.
She clamped as hard as she could about the pulsating girth willing the man to complete her.
"Shit..." Red groaned the realization, "You have the tightest pussy I've ever..." he trailed away.
Not the best time to bring up past... encounters, but it was true.
Liz pretended not to note the slip... but did chuckle inwardly at the slight grimace that crossed the man's face for his faux pas.
Grasping her knee, he pulled it tight against his side, enjoying her moan of pleasure when his cock raked roughly against her pink clitoris.
The tiny nub was once again, throbbing and alive with sensation.
Liz moaned as the intense pleasure racked her body.
"That feels damned good doesn't it, baby." his own organ was rippling with the effect.
His fingers reached, parting her already spread folds, allowing him a little freedom to sink even deeper.
"What you need..." his voice captivated, "is a good fucking."
She could hardly dispute the fact.
"I can do that." he promised. "I probably need it a hell of a lot more than you," he admitted sotto voce, his attention fixed and riveted.
Elizabeth lifted her arms above her head, stretching in a kitten-like manner, basking in the rhythmic motion of their union.
The rising tide of sweet bliss inched closer.
Red caught her bared breast, suckling her feverishly.
"Feel me..." he willed, "inside you."
The core of her being convulsed, his cock rippling inside the recesses of her body, the friction causing delicious pangs of awakening to stir.
She marveled at the feel of him... it was exquisite.
The sweet pang fluctuated around his shaft, Lizzy's breathy cries of enjoyment stimulated him beyond scope.
He hit a special spot, feeling her form stiffen with delight, a shaky exclamation escaping the woman's throat.
Red buried his face into the fragrant curve of her neckline, his hot breath fanning her electrified flesh.
"That excites the hell out of me." he had no trouble admitting the fact.
Liz's breath quickened, the tightness in her abdomen signifying she felt the same.
Leaning into his forearms, Red surrounded her with his warmth, murmuring softly, "Don't stop... don't hold back."
Liz's sex pulsed obediently, grasping the man's erection.
Red groaned brokenly, biting her neckline teasingly as a reward.
"Come for me." his tone laced with desperation.
But... she already had. Didn't he know, wasn't he aware?
"I love how it feels..." he whispered his encouragement, "do it again... ." his rough voice rushed over her like thick honey.
Of course, he knew. He always knew.
Liz tensed sharply. She wasn't aware she had been holding her breath.
Red wedged his arm between their bodies, his thumb rubbing teasingly against her swollen nub.
Liz felt as if she would shatter into a million pieces if she gave into his incessant prodding.
Her emotions were raw.. Her body crying out for release.
But... if she didn't give in... she felt her flesh would burn alive, her body would be consumed in flames.
"I love you, Elizabeth."
The simple statement was her undoing.
She flung her arms about the man's neckline, her mouth searching ardently for his.
Red pushed repeatedly into the tight pussy, his thrusts increasing fervently as the tension in his own body mounted.
"God, your pussy feels so good." he panted warmly against her neck, sending shivers down her back. "It's so good..." his voice shook with heightened passion. "Shit...I can't stop."
Liz's stomach tightened watching... listening to the man lose himself to the passionate exchange.
"Baby..." his large hand wrapped about her nape, his fingers tightening in her thick hair, "I'm gonna come."
Within seconds the most arousing, primal cry ripped from Elizabeth's throat.
Red's low, rumbling growl followed by a sharp guttural gasp, mingled with yet another feminine groan.
The atmosphere was charged with sexual tension for once brief eternity as both lovers found a common release in each other's body.
Ressler inched forward quietly, careful not to disturb the ground over which he walked.
Limbs and dried leaves were making a rough go of it.
A twig snapped under his weight. The man hesitated, grimacing for the fact.
The sound was muffled in the loose dirt. He hoped he had not given his position... or presence away.
Focusing his vision into the inky darkness, nearing the darkened outline of the large vehicle which loomed in the near distance.
He pulled up short. Even in the shadowed area, the glint of the deep silver alerted the Agent to the true color of the car.
It had appeared black in the indistinct light of a quarter moon.
Was that Reddington's SUV? If so, what the hell would the man be doing out here in the middle of nowhere... this late at night?
The agent halted, uncertain as to his next move.
He was able to see through the windshield into the interior of the car. The front seats were unoccupied.
Creeping forward, weapon drawn, pointed down, out to his side, as was protocol.
He scanned the nearby surroundings.
Shadows hid much. The heavy brush and overgrowth a possible lurking spot for... anyone or anything.
His ears strained for any sound amid the rustling wind coming off the mountain range surrounding them.
He cocked his head, attuned to the low tone of a male voice carried on the warm breeze.
Ressler started. Lifting his weapon instantly.
A worried scowl puckered his forehead for a very feminine cry pricked the silence of the night.
His eyes dilated, his mind focusing. The man eased carefully down the side of the vehicle, alert and cautious.
Red tensed.
Elizabeth felt the change, seeking him out.
The chiseled jawline was set, the full lips tight, pressed together.
Grasping his weapon, he sat his free hand on Elizabeth's torso, stilling the woman's normal reaction.
He first caught the movement as a shadow passed in his peripheral vision.
Red's demeanor alerted Elizabeth. She remained still and silent waiting it out.
He placed his finger to his lips, signifying she should remain quiet.
Red turned, following the shadowy figures trek. He waited, gun targeted. He hastily adjusted his clothing best he was able and now was poised... weapon pointing out the opened hatch.
Ressler weighed his options. His senses told him, he had been seen. The night was too still. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled with alarm.
"Federal Agent!" he barked his best command tone.
Using what shield the back panel of the vehicle offered, which wasn't much, if whoever was in the back of this damned car decided simply to shoot through the flimsy metal which seemingly protected him.
Red's finger lifted off the trigger of his weapon with a heavy sigh.
"Exit the vehicle immediately!"
Elizabeth's eyes widened drastically, a small gasp of shock escaping her.
Red's large hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her instantly. The man's dark eyes penetrated hers, the look on his face demanding she comply. She quickly jerked her head, understanding the parameters he sat down.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Red spread his hands out to the Universe, his tone rather unfriendly.
Ressler lowered his weapon, annoyed beyond belief, "What the hell..." he shifted about the vehicle, his own ire present, "are you doing out..." his words trailed away.
Federal Agents were trained observers.
Ressler observed... a set of men's shoes laying haphazardly on the ground before him, a bunched up pair of lace panties... a pair of bare feet, very feminine ones, and Reddington... kneeling between them.
His mind clicked as he added up all the variables. He was a guy... so he got it almost instantaneously.
"...Oh."
"Really?" Red was not a happy camper. He somehow scooted somewhat into view, his expression not exactly a welcoming one.
"Well, what the fuck!" Ressler spread his arms, allowing his frustration.
He noted immediately Reddington's condition. The usually impeccably dressed man was now decidedly... disheveled.
The guy's shirt was untucked, hanging askew. His pants loose, unattended.
The bare feet had turned into shapely legs.
"I always pay my debts," Red explained patiently, his tone verging on sarcasm to Ressler's ears. "My little waitress wanted her gratuity." he waved an imperious hand into the shadows of the car, "I'm in the midst of... giving it to her."
Ressler rolled his eyes, his head shaking his growing annoyance.
"Is that against some Federal Regulation of which I am unaware?"
"Well, how the hell was I supposed to know?" Ressler defended himself. "I was just doing my job."
"And I was doing mine." Red smiled ever so pleasantly. "A task I should very much enjoy returning to."
Ressler dropped his head. He was never going to live this one down.
Reddington, on the other hand... seemed to have dismissed the entire episode.
The man scooted back to his previous position, a soothing tone used for the woman that waited inside.
"Forget about him... you concentrate on me." the man was advising.
Ressler felt very much like a third party, but something perverse kept him rooted to the spot.
Red knew he had to get them out of this sticky situation and fast. He upped the ante hoping his ploy worked.
Elizabeth grimaced adorably, her expression an anxious one.
"I'll give you all the tip you want, baby." Red proclaimed to any and all drawing a stifled giggle from the woman. One she muffled with a hand over her mouth.
"Fuck... my balls ache." Red enjoyed the small snort from Lizzy. "I'm going to fill you so damned full of cream..." the man continued, amused for her reaction, "it's going to be running down your thighs."
Ressler pulled an 'eww' face, turning quickly making his getaway back through the multitude of trees and shrubs which impeded his hasty escape.
He tried to block the visual provided, but couldn't.
He trudged resolutely back to the cabin, his mind filled with the disturbing thoughts.
What would it be like... to stand there and watch? Would he even want to... join in at some point?
The man's dick hardened. He winced, moving it about to ease the ache.
What the hell was wrong with him? Thinking such things!
It was Reddington's fault. His twisted influence was rubbing off on him... yeah, that was it.
He pushed on, quickening his steps. The farther away he got from the SUV, the better it would be.
What was with Reddington anyway? Sure, the guy had needs. What guy didn't?
Ressler had been planning on pursuing that avenue with his latest romantic interest himself.
They had only started the dating process and there was some question about the birth control issue. And... she apparently, hated condoms.
Ressler's mood was dropping by the second.
Birth control.
The man mused.
Reddington's statement led Ressler to believe the guy was riding bareback.
In this day and age? But again, Reddington was Old School.
Maybe the guy wasn't aware, it was protocol today to carry test results around like they were credit cards, to be swapped as proof no STD's were out there, undetected.
Besides, the Agent's instincts had told him, Reddington had a thing for Keen.
The man could simply be blowing off steam with a very willing partner, sure but... the chance something detrimental could be passed on if ever...
Ressler dismissed the thought which was even more disturbing than what he had just witnessed.
Reddington would protect Keen with his life. Ressler knew that much at least.
He didn't have to think beyond that constant.
Still, he envied Red Reddington.
A quick roll in the proverbial hay was exactly what Donald Ressler needed this night.
He admitted it, if only to himself.
His steps halted. The cabin loomed ahead.
It was a hell of a commitment to make.
Ressler's thoughts turned introspective. He stood, leaning against the trunk of a large Fir, fumbling for a cigarette.
He promised himself he would give up the habit and succeeded to a degree. He only rarely allowed himself the luxury.
His head bent, his hands sheltering the flame of his lighter from the wind.
He inhaled the strong, tangy flavor of the tobacco, savoring the taste.
A hell of a commitment. Riding a woman without protection. He had done it with Audrey but they had been in a committed relationship.
Fuck, it had felt phenomenal.
His cock twitched in remembrance. He allowed the freedom, closing his eyes.
He did not lack for a willing partner these days. Sex was a need he fulfilled but deep down, he knew these encounters were transitory, meaningless.
No woman had touched him like Audrey.
There were moments with Samar...moments he usually dismissed rapidly from his mind.
It would never work... they were partners.
It never worked.
But she was so desirable, intelligent, a warm giving woman when she set her mind to it.
Any man would be lucky to...
Donald took another draw on his cigarette. His mind flitted this way and that. At the conclusion of the turbulent exploration of possibilities, he made a decision.
Upon his return to D.C... he would pursue the possibility of a more intimate, lasting relationship with the only woman he truly wished to do so...
It was time.
"We got caught by a cop." Liz was all giggles and lightness now.
Red chuckled along with her, "He wasn't as bad as when Penelope Ann Marston and I were caught by Sister Mary Agnes." his eyes traced the woman's nakedness appreciatively, "behind the bleachers at the homecoming game."
Liz chuckled her delight.
"That woman could wield a riding crop...better than Kaplan." he loved to make her laugh, the sound was most delightful. "I still have marks, both physically and mentally."
Liz shook her head, her eyes softening on the man, "Penelope Marston, huh?"
"Penelope Ann Marston." he corrected. "I was the only one who could tease her about her middle name. Do you know why?"
"Please tell me." Liz shifted comfortably in his arms. This was one of her favorite times. Basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking but also... the intimate stories that emerged.
A personal side Red only shared with her... or at least she hoped as much.
"Because I'm special."
"You're full of horse hockey." Liz corrected holding her need to laugh at his antics. "Besides, I thought you would say because you could tease her so well..." she arched her brow meaningfully.
"Well, that too..." Red shrugged, sighing at the nostalgic memory. "I thought I was so special back then." he admitted." Life has a way of dissolving youthful conceit."
"You're special to me." she admitted quietly.
His eyes held hers so long she flushed a bit, hastily changing the subject.
"I thought you said you didn't care if they found out about us... the team, I mean."
Red nodded silently.
"Why didn't you just...tell him who I was?"
"Firstly, it's none of his business who I take to my bed... or in this instance... my SUV." he advised. "And secondly, if we are to allow them into our private lives, there is certainly a better way and time to do so, don't you agree?"
She couldn't argue that point. She wasn't sure how Ressler would have taken such a shock and now, she was beginning to wonder about Samar's reaction.
"When did your little waitress come to mind?" she was curious. "You came up with that one pretty rapidly. Was she in your thoughts?"
"The only thing in my thoughts was... how I might get into your hot little pussy."
"And here I was going to compliment you on your ability to say all those three-syllable words while in the midst of... copulation." she teased.
"Does it get you off?" he asked, his voice roughened and raspy.
"How crudely put... but, yes." this time the smile was allowed.
"I feed of your response." he shared, his eyes boldly measuring her features. "You know that, right?"
Liz didn't.
"I come harder... and cream longer than I've ever done with... the others."
"Let's not bring them up." she scolded. "...Right now anyway."
Red was given pause for thought. "The point is... I'm more involved all because of your reaction to my efforts."
She pondered his words, thrilled by the admission, "It's a two-way street."
He inclined his head minutely, "I hope it is."
"And when it gets old?" the thought troubled her. "Having the same old thing day in and day out?"
"Are you already feeling that?"
Her eyes widened, "Me?" she was astounded. "You are the one who likes the variety of life."
"When it comes to food... wine. The possibilities of adventure..." he conceded. "But I would rather have one woman to which I am committed, warming my bed."
"Or SUV."
He smiled, then turned serious for a long beat before he continued, sensing how important the issue was to the woman.
"Lizzy, I've had more than my fill of... the others. It leaves you cold and empty inside."
The man remembered the 'after' part.
"I prefer loyalty and love over a quick, unemotional fuck any day of the week." he did. "Those are not simply words. I've lived them. I know what I want in life. There are no doubts on my mind."
He studied her evenly, "I plan to ensure none remain in yours."
"I don't have any doubts."
He smiled placatingly, "The bravado of youth, again?"
"Stop." she snapped. "I know my own mind, Red."
"I hope you do, baby." he prayed as much most nights. "I'll get my shoes." he put an end to the discussion. "Thank God that boot was up front." he laughed as he retrieved a particularly interesting article dangling it before the woman's slightly flushed face. "It would have been a dead giveaway."
Liz grasped the white lace panties from his finger, giving him a teasing look, "Want a souvenir?"
She twirled the lace about her index finger provocatively.
Red snatched out, his reflexes in perfect working order, seizing his acquisition, a smug look on his face.
Lizzy offered him an indignant huff which he found amusing. He stuffed the prized possession in his pants pocket.
He helped her struggle out of the hatch, patience itself.
She primly straightened her clothing, checking her make-up in the side mirror before sliding into her customary seat.
"What am I, the chauffeur?" he laughed at the distracted action.
Liz glanced about immediately catching his meaning, "Oh!" she whacked her forehead, clamoring out changing her position to the front seat. "What the hell was I..." she mumbled, fastening her seat belt.
"What's on your mind?" he closed her door with a decided click, leaning his forearms on the base of the window.
Liz had rolled it down to breathe in fresh, crisp air.
She loved this place already. It called out to her. The century-old mountains, the towering trees that reached up to the bluest sky she had ever seen.
She didn't remember what state exactly was God's country but this had to be it, surely.
"Oh, nothing of import." she dismissed. "Just musing. Guess it's one of those evenings."
Red followed her gaze.
The night was full of sound. He had not noted before. The air smelled of an approaching rainstorm.
The lights of the cabins were dimmed, only the security lamps ablaze.
He craned his head glancing to the inky purple of the night sky.
"Do you believe those stars?" she asked wistfully staring up as well. "They take your breath away."
"At night, out on the ocean," Red nodded at nothing in particular, "they look like this, only closer."
"How amazing." she practically gasped at the picture painted. "I envy you, having seen them."
"It reminds you just how insignificant a human being really is."
"I don't feel insignificant when I look at them." she didn't. "I feel..."
"Humbled?" he smiled down at her, the face lifted like a cherub praying to God.
"Yes." he had hit in it exactly. She transferred her eyes. "Red..."
"Hum?" he encouraged she continue with her quiet response.
"...Do you see us..." she hesitated. Was it a stupid question?
"Tell me."
"Growing old together?" she shifted placid eyes, watching his response. "...I mean, do you think we'll be one of the few who actually... make it?"
"Yes." he replied without hesitation.
The truth was, originally, the man had visions of himself dying long before he reached old age but... that image kept fading into the background these days.
Apparently, as long as Lizzy was by his side, his will to fight all life threw at him remained strong. He planned to live a long and contented life now.
"You do? You think that?"
"Even with gray hair, you'll be quite the looker." Red's eyes twinkled as the woman's face blanched at the image he presented. "What about you?" he pushed the envelope. "See us sitting in rocking chairs watching the sunset?"
"A couple of times I have." she didn't like to think about growing old though. Was that vain?
"And not once," he chuckled, "did you imagine yourself with grey hair, did you."
"Well!" she huffed, "Of course I did."
"Liar." he shook his head, knowing a lie when he heard one.
"I do not have a vain bone in my body. I'll have you know."
"All I know," he tweaked her pert nose, "Is that we will finish this life together. If there is a God in Heaven... and I know there is for a fact, since he gifted me you..."
Liz blinked at the wetness gathering in her eyes at the wonderful words.
"...He would not be so cruel as to deny us that path." Red continued.
"Really, Red?"
"I have no doubt." he leaned in, kissing her sweetly. "None in this world... or the next."
She beamed him a smile.
"Now that I've found you, Elizabeth." his eyes held hers easily. "Nothing will take you from me."
"I don't want to go away from you." she covered his fingers with hers, her gaze a loving, trusting one. "So you make sure you keep your word, Red Reddington."
"I always keep my word," he tilted his head slightly, his tone holding a confident edge, "...to you."
Liz sat back, sighing her contentment.
The man crossed to the driver's side of the car, sliding in.
"You know..." she mused playfully, her spirits high, "I'm past eighteen..." she slid him a seductive look. "I don't have to go home... or at least... to my home."
"Your old man doesn't have to shoot me in where it hurts most," he waved over his crotch, "with a shotgun but..." he smiled sweetly at her, "he will."
"He's not that bad." she tsked. "Aren't I worth it?"
"Well, I don't know..." he sized her form up lasciviously, because even at this moment the woman had leaned her warm palm massaging his already receptive crotch with a loving stroke.
"Let's go to my home..." he put the car in gear, "and find out."
Author Note: If you see any errors, let me know. I had a hard time getting this to paste correctly.