Read my Lips
Chapter 29
His body was sore. But Spencer was used to feeling sore. Pain was a part of his job. And it was to be expected after he got slammed against a cement wall and smashed by a door. His frustration was that he had nothing to show for his injuries. Will Reynolds got away. With him went the hope of getting him to confess the identity of Eliana's kidnapper. He would eventually be caught. Having a famous face would make it impossible for him to stay hidden for long. But it wouldn't be soon enough to stop Casanova from torturing the women he had locked in his dungeon. Or from taking another one. Eliana still couldn't go home. Spencer was no closer to solving this case than he was when he arrived in North Carolina on day one. And on top of all that, he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he was missing something when he walked through Dr. Reynolds' apartment.. Something obvious. Something that he would have seen immediately if he wasn't distracted by his pounding headache. Something that would not only prove the man's guilt, but lead them to the identity of his partner in crime.
One of Aleksander's borrowed soldiers drove Spencer to the on base military housing his team had been given permission to occupy during their stay. As he climbed from the vehicle, a wide smile broke out across his face despite the long and frustrating day he had. Eliana was sitting on the front porch steps. Just the sight of her was enough to make Spencer smile. She was still dressed in the oversized hooded sweatshirt that seemed to be serving as her security blanket. There was a large white styrofoam cup in her hands. She sipped from the straw as she chatted with one of the security guards her father stationed there.
Eliana's face was still covered in bruises. She was missing a fingernail. And her curves were barely visible under her oversized sweatshirt. But her security guard didn't seem to mind. He was standing at the bottom of the steps, leaning against the railing. The man's body language alone made it obvious that he was quite taken with her. An intense surge of possessiveness sent Spencer rushing up the drive to the house. He knew when Eliana spotted him because her face lit up. Her admirer turned to follow her gaze. And that's when Spencer began to feel a little silly. His sudden jealousy was totally unfounded. Eliana's security detail was barely old enough to drive, let alone drink. The young man straightened up as Spencer approached, squaring his shoulders and tucking his arms behind his back.
"Good evening sir," the young man barked. His voice revealed his nervousness. Spencer returned the greeting, smiling as he wondered when exactly he got so old that he became sir instead of kid.
"You're back," Eliana exclaimed. She stretched her legs out before she stood up on the bottom step, putting herself at eye level with Spencer as she wrapped her arms around him. Her soft exhale of pleasure sent a shiver up his spine. Her hair was still damp and she smelled like shampoo. Spencer held on to her, letting Eliana decide when she was ready to let go. When she did, she took another sip from her large white cup.
"This is Thomas," she said, gesturing towards the young man at her side. The kid was now staring at Spencer with a look of open fascination, excited to see a real live serial killer hunter. Eliana held up the large white cup in her hand. "I told him my jaw still hurt so he went into town and got me a Tropical Smoothie." Spencer had a feeling the young man's intentions weren't totally altruistic. He was either looking to impress Eliana, her father, or both. But Spencer guessed she wasn't aware of that, and was probably just happy to have made a friend that was willing to talk to her about something other than her recent attack or the man behind it.
"That was very thoughtful of you," Spencer agreed, holding back a chuckle when he saw how pleased the young man was to have received a compliment from him. Spencer took a moment to chat back and forth with the young soldier, answering a few of his questions about what it was like to chase serial killers for a living as Eliana sucked down what remained of her smoothie. When she was done, she handed her empty cup to the young man and wrapped her arms around Spencer's neck.
"My foot still hurts," she told him. "Will you carry me inside?"
Spencer eagerly lifted her up into his arms, happy for any excuse to be close to her. He carried Eliana inside, passing by Kevin on his way to the stairs. He was passed out on the couch with his open laptop resting on his chest. Eliana directed Spencer down the hall to the room she chose for herself. He smiled when he saw that his go bag was resting on the floor near the foot of the bed. He left it downstairs. Which meant Eliana had someone bring it up and put it in her room with her things. Spencer set her down on the edge of the bed, lowering himself down next to her. He took one of her hands in his, bracing himself for her disappointment as he prepared to break the bad news to her as gently as possible.
"Things didn't go as planned. We didn't catch him. He got away," Spencer admitted. Eliana just nodded, which surprised him. He was expecting more of a reaction from her.
"My dad called me on Kevin's phone after it happened," she explained. "Are you okay? I was worried. He said you hit a wall or something…"
"You were waiting up because you were worried about me?," Spencer confirmed. When he spotted her on the porch at such a late hour, he assumed that Eliana was waiting up for news about their manhunt. It didn't cross his mind that she might just be waiting for him to get back before she went to bed.
Eliana nodded. "Of course I was waiting up for you. Are you okay?" Her dark eyes were full of concern for him. Spencer stared back into them, relishing the moment before he pulled her into his arms. He never had anyone waiting at home for him before. They weren't really home, but the concept was the same. It felt good in a way he'd never experienced before. When he finally answered Eliana's question, it was with a soft whisper into her damp hair.
"I'm fine. I'm a little sore, but I'll be okay."
Eliana pulled back slightly, running her fingers down through his hair. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Why don't you take a shower… and then I'll rub your back for you?" It wasn't really a question, but it came out sounding like one. So Spencer nodded his agreement. After everything that happened, he felt like he really ought to be taking care of her instead of the other way around. But the psychologist in him knew that focusing on his minor injuries would be cathartic for her. Caring for him would take Eliana's mind off her own recovery and give her a sense of purpose in this otherwise chaotic mess of a situation. Plus, letting her rub her small hands across his sore muscles sounded like heaven.
"I'd really like that," Spencer told her. Eliana's face lit up into a bright smile. She hugged him one more time before she shooed him away towards the bathroom.
Spencer took the fastest shower he could, scrubbing the day off his body with cheap body wash because he forgot his own toiletries in his go bag. When he reentered the bedroom, it was with a towel wrapped around his damp body. Eliana was lying on top of the blankets, her bare legs sticking out from under one of his shirts. The bandage was removed from her injured foot and he was relieved to see that the jagged cut on her instep was healing well.
"Should I put my pajamas on?," he asked, pausing near the foot of the bed. Eliana sat up. She flashed a mischievous grin at him as she let her dark eyes scan down over his body.
"No," Eliana replied with a shake of her head. She lifted her arms, motioning him towards her. "Lose that towel and come here." Her words came with another wicked grin and a shimmy of her slim shoulders that made Spencer laugh. He did as she asked, pulling his towel loose and dropping it on the floor near his feet. As he moved around the edge of the bed, Eliana rose up onto her knees and reached for him. Her hand cupped the back of his neck, pulling his lips down to meet hers. Spencer kissed her gently, being mindful of the injury to her jaw. It was harder than he would have imagined not to completely ravage her lips, especially when his tongue slid against hers and she moaned into his mouth.
"Hold on." Spencer popped his head up, sucking in a hard breath of air. Eliana's small hands were ghosting over his body. He grasped her hands in his, momentarily pausing her administrations. "I don't think we should… you know," he whispered, his eyes flicking down towards his growing erection. It was nearly impossible to think straight with her in his arms. He kept reminding himself that she was hurt. But there was another voice inside his head that was encouraging him to climb between her parted thighs and take her. In theory, Spencer supposed that all men had a more animalistic version of themselves somewhere inside their minds. He just never met his. Not until he met Eliana. Spencer took another deep breath, willing those urges back. He was nothing like the men he spent his lifetime profiling. That part of him existed. But it was not going to dictate his actions. Not now, not ever.
"You're still healing. I'm afraid I'll hurt you and make it worse," Spencer told her.
Eliana smiled as she gazed up at him. She scooted back towards the center of the bed, pulling him forward by the hands. "I just want to feel your skin on mine," she promised. "Do you want to lie down? I'll give you that backrub… if that's okay?"
Spencer nodded as he allowed Eliana to pull him the rest of the way onto the bed. He lowered himself down onto his stomach, ignoring the throbbing in his groin as his dick was pinioned between his abdomen and the mattress. He felt like he ought to be uncomfortable and self conscious, exposing so much of his naked form to another person. But he didn't feel that way at all. In fact, the moment Eliana started ghosting her hands across his back he felt himself relax completely.
Her touch was whisper soft at first. Eliana's open palms smoothed across his skin, contouring to fit the curves of his back. She trailed them down, shifting her body across the bed until she was sitting on her heels near his feet. Starting with his calves, she increased the force of her fingers as she massaged his legs. Spencer had no idea how she knew the exact right amount of pressure to use to relieve the soreness in his muscles. But he quickly gave himself over to her touch, emptying his mind until there was nothing in the world except for her hands on his body.
Eliana worked her way up his long legs, rubbing until she felt each muscle tense and release. By the time she made it up his thighs to the rounded curve of his ass, she could feel the heat pooling between her legs. After her terrifying encounter with Casanova, she was worried that the pervert might have ruined sex forever for her. She was scared that she might never want to make love again. And even though Eliana knew she and Spencer probably weren't going to finish what she was starting with her massage, feeling those nerves come alive in her body was a welcome relief.
Eliana forced herself to move her hands upwards towards Spencer's lower back. She shifted her body, straddling his hips and sitting on his ass instead of rubbing it. Eliana wasn't wearing anything under the shirt she snatched from Spencer's suitcase. She knew he could feel the heat from her core against his skin. The fact that he was still lying face down on the bed spoke to how much self control he had.
As she moved her deft fingers over Spencer's back, Eliana carefully watched for his subtle reactions, lightening her pressure over the sore spots and pushing into the knots in his shoulders. She rocked her hips back and forth as she worked her hands, enjoying the press of his warm skin against her parted thighs. The last thing she massaged was his neck and scalp, earning her a few soft pleasurable groans as he felt his growing migraine dissipate completely.
"Roll over and I'll rub the front of you," Eliana suggested, swinging her one leg off and kneeling on the bed next to him.
Spencer lifted his head, turning to meet her eyes with his. He bore a pained expression that spoke to the war he was having with his own urges. His pupils were blown out, his eyes gone dark with desire. And when he finally rolled onto his back, his erection was jutting up from his body like a flagpole. Below it, his balls were swollen from the increased blood flow.
Eliana moved slowly, giving him time to object as she climbed back on top of him. Though she wanted to, she didn't sink down on his dick. Spencer made it clear before he got into bed with her that he didn't want to go that far. And though he was physically willing, Eliana didn't want to coerce him into something that he might feel guilty or bad about later. She was perfectly happy to wait until they were both ready before they made love again. But that didn't mean she couldn't do something to please him.
Eliana bit her bottom lip as she lowered herself down, sitting with his dick sticking up in front of her. She used both her hands, rubbing them over his shaft and down past it to cup his swollen balls. He fluttered his eyes closed. But Eliana watched his facial expressions, adjusting her touch to please him. She worked his dick with her hands until he was bucking his hips underneath her. His hands fisted into the blankets as his body stiffened. And when he came all over both of them it was with a loud keening groan of pleasure.
Spencer reached for her, pulling Eliana down on top of him until their lips met. She kissed him like crazy, her body still writhing against his with unfulfilled desire. He was gentle when he rolled her onto her back, using his arms to keep from putting too much weight on her when he settled between her thighs.
Eliana hummed her approval of this new position. She liked the feel of Spencer's slim body on top of hers. She ran her hands up and down the length of his arms as he kissed her. His lips pressed gently down over each of her blackened eyes before he moved down and started kissing along the line of her jaw. But it wasn't until he pressed a kiss to the healing cuts in the center of her chest that she realized what Spencer was doing. He was kissing her in all the places she'd been hurt. Eliana closed her eyes, resting her hands on his shoulders as he moved over her body. She knew there was no real magic in his kiss. But in her mind, it was easy to imagine each place Spencer's lips touched being instantly healed.
He kissed between her breasts again, over the place where she was hit with a stun gun. And then over her breasts themselves, where her attacker left bruises and the indents of his teeth. Spencer pulled each one of her hands to his lips, kissing the entire way around the rope burns on her wrists. He pressed his lips to the hollow of her stomach. Eliana released a soft sigh of pleasure when she felt his tongue graze across the fingerprint shaped bruises on her hips.
The insides of her thighs were the worst. Her attacker not only pried her legs open with his fingers, he bruised them more when he was on top of her, forcing himself inside as she struggled beneath him. Instead of feeling shame over the marks, she found herself eager to feel Spencer's lips on her. Eliana's insides clenched, bringing on a wave of pleasure when Spencer kissed across the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. She never had a man's face between her legs before. The only serious relationship she ever had was with Riley. And he was never interested in kissing her down there, for obvious reasons. Eliana was surprised at how eager she was for Spencer to put his mouth on her.
Eliana felt the warm flush of his breath against her heated folds. She moaned as she twined her hands into his hair. He was as gentle with her pussy as he had been with the rest of her body, pressing soft kisses to her outer lips before he flicked his tongue between them. Eliana guessed the act was as unfamiliar to him as it was to her. Because it took him a moment of awkwardly shuffling his arms around before he was able to get his hand in the position he wanted it. Resting on his elbow, his arm circled her thigh so that his hand was coming down from above her center. He used his fingers, carefully parting her labia to expose both her core and her clit. Eliana felt his tongue run up the length of her. And by the time he repeated that motion a second time, she was moaning and gasping for breath. On the third pass up, he stopped at her swollen clit and began working the tip of his tongue back and forth across it. There was no warning for her. One second she was sucking in a hard breath of air and the next she was coming on his face. She cried out as the spasms of her orgasm radiated through her body.
For a moment, Eliana was completely lost to the pleasure. When she drifted back to reality, she was cocooned in Spencer's arms under the covers. He pressed a soft kiss into her hair.
"Was that okay?," he asked. "You liked it?" A soft giggle bubbled out of Eliana as she nodded her head. She would have laughed more, just at how silly the question was after she just came so hard she couldn't see. But she could tell Spencer's concern about not being able to please her was genuine. And she didn't want him to think she was laughing at him.
"I've never done that before," she admitted. "But I liked it. A lot."
"Oh," he replied. There was a hint of surprise in his tone at her open admission of inexperience. He paused before he continued. "I've never done it either. I read a manual. But I still wasn't sure what you would like."
"You read a manual?," Eliana asked. It was getting harder and harder to hold in her laughter. "Like a sex manual?" She wrote and read a lot of spicy stories. But she never read a sex manual before. She didn't even know that was a thing.
"Yes," Spencer confirmed. "Actually, I read four manuals. And the entire Kama Sutra. All seven books. But there's a lot of conflicting information. So I still wasn't sure exactly what to do."
It was the all seven books comment that put Eliana over the edge. She buried her face in Spencer's chest and exploded into laughter. It took her a moment to regain control over herself. And when she did, Eliana was relieved to see that Spencer was laughing along with her. Or maybe at her and the laughing snorts she was trying to muffle by pressing her face into his chest.
"When did you read all that?," Eliana asked once she was finally able to form words again without dissolving into giggles.
"After we were kissing in my car outside the trivia party."
Eliana's laughter ceased as quickly as it started. She was expecting Spencer to say he read them in college. Or even high school. She had no idea he went through so much trouble just to please her. As silly as it was, it really pulled on her heartstrings. She wrapped her arms around Spencer, hugging him tightly against her as she spoke.
"You really read all that for me?"
Spencer hugged her back, forgetting his vow to be gentle as he nearly crushed her against his chest. "I wasn't sure if we would… you know… have sex," he admitted. "But in case we did, I wanted to make sure you liked it. I calculated that a favorable sexual encounter would increase the chances of you wanting to enter into a long term relationship with me by at least fifty percent."
"You wanted to make me come so that I would agree to be your girlfriend?," Elaina asked. In her experience, men usually did things the other way around. They would pretend to be interested in a relationship in order to get sex. She knew she found someone special the moment Spencer opened his apartment door and scowled at her. But she had no idea how amazing he really was. The more she got to know about him, the more she wanted to know.
"Yes," he confirmed. "Do you want to be with me? After everything that happened, I'll understand if you need some time."
"I don't need any time," Eliana countered. "I want to be yours more than I've ever wanted anything in my whole entire life!"
This time it was Spencer that laughed. He ducked his head down, peppering Eliana's face with kisses and making her laugh with him. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her with him and tucked his arm around her. With her head resting on his chest and her declaration of love warming him from the inside out, Spencer was finally able to relax for the first time since she went missing. Eliana fell asleep almost instantly. Spencer felt his eyes growing heavy as he listened to the slow even sounds of her breathing. He was hovering on the verge of sleep when his eyes suddenly popped open. He moved out from under Eliana as quickly as he could without disturbing her as he scrambled for his phone.
"Prentiss," Emily said, barking her standard greeting into her phone despite the fact that she knew it was him.
"Are you still at his apartment?," Spencer asked. The urgency in his tone was clear even over the phone.
"We were just about to leave," Emily replied. Spencer heard her speak with her mouth away from her phone, telling Aleksander that Reid was the one calling her. "Why? You got something?," she asked. They'd worked together long enough that she could tell from Reid's tone when he had a sudden breakthrough in the case. And he could tell from hers that she was excited to hear what it was.
"Yes!," Spencer exclaimed. "I know we thought there wasn't anything in his apartment. But I know where to look. Go into the back of his closet and push that shoe rack out of the way."
