When Frankie first saw him it was a dark, wet and windy night. He cut quite a dashing figure as he stood in front of her with his greying floppy hair and long overcoat. She caught a glimpse of the gold band on his ring finger but that didn't stop her stomach from doing a somersault or her heart beating a little faster. He was sharp and to the point with a slight bark to his tone as he spoke. She knew it was taboo, yet that didn't stop her from returning his overtures when he flirted with her.
When the case they were working on together was over they still kept in touch, his late nights working were spent with her, mostly naked in her bed, both of them sweaty and out of breath. As she lay with her head on his chest, his heartbeat under her ear slowing as his breathing returned to normal, she knew that it wouldn't last, couldn't last, yet she still wanted this, wanted him.
When it did come to an end she was heartbroken of course, even though she had tried not to become too attached to him. Finding out his wife was pregnant from the woman herself a few months after he called it off was the final nail in the coffin. She thought they could maybe try again when he first rang her to ask for her help when she put her job on the line to save them both. Yet fate had other plans for them, or at least for him anyway. She watched him walk away a second time when they saved his career, watched as he walked back to his wife to settle down to play the dotting husband and impending father. She swore then she was done, she would never let herself be hurt again.
Yet here she was, some ten years later, looking across the restaurant table into his big brown eyes, his silvery grey hair and beard making him look more distinguished than he ever had. When she joined his team she knew it would not bode well for her, she just couldn't say no to him. She offered to pay half the bill but he refused, handing his card over before she could even take her wallet out of her pocket. When he held out her jacket for her to put on she felt the barricades around the heart slowly crumbling. Holding the door open for her to exit the restaurant, offering her his arm as they walked back towards his car, she was done for. When he insisted that he drop her safely at home, walking her up to her top floor flat and her front door. He stood close to her as she dug in her pockets for her door key, her elbow brushing up his chest as she went to put the key in the lock. She only noticed her hand was shaking as she tried to get the key into the lock, a detail he didn't miss as she heard him lightly chuckle before placing his hand over hers to steady it.
They turned the key together, the door opening with both their hands covering the key. When she turned to look at him he was impossibly close, his front almost flush with her back. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest with each breath he took, smell his expensive aftershave invading her already overstimulated senses as he seemed to lean in even closer.
"Do you want me to come in?" His words were soft against the shell of her ear.
"God, yes." Not even trying to hide her desire as she stepped into her flat and he followed close behind.
He closed the door behind him, the flat now in complete darkness as he blinked a few times so his eyes could adjust to the darkness. Frankie couldn't wait any longer, he was in her flat and this would be on her terms. She almost pounced on him, her hands coming up to bring his head down to her level so she could kiss him. He responded instantly, one of his hands sliding up her back to bring her body flush with his as he returned the kiss. With his free hand, he held her head, angling her head just enough so he could use his tongue to probe along her lip. She opened her mouth willingly, their tongues reacquainting themselves with each other as he slid his hand further down her back until he cupped her backside making her jerk closer to him.
"Fuck," was all she could say as he managed to slot one of his legs between hers and somehow have her straddling it.
"I will, but not here." Nipping her tongue with his teeth as let go of her head and braced himself against the wall to stop them both falling.
Frankie slowly righted herself before taking one of his hands in hers and leading them both to her bedroom. Neither of them wasted any time once inside the bedroom, clothes being pulled and tugged at until they were both naked. Boyd managed to manoeuvre them both to the bed before giving Frankie a gentle shove backwards. Frankie let herself flop backwards onto the bed, her whole body on show for him to feast his eyes on, and he did.
Starting at her feet he leaned on the bed and licked his way up from her ankle to her knee. From there he continued upwards, making sure his warm breath blew across her overheated core but avoided touching it. She growled loudly when his breath blew across her centre, her nerve ends overstimulated as she gripped the sheets beneath her. He continued his journey up her body, licking and nipping at both her breasts before he was face-to-face with her. He situated himself above her, his knees pinning her legs open. Using one hand for support he used the other to wrap one of her legs around his waist, then swapped hands so he could have both her legs around him. He looked down at her and watched as she locked eyes with him before giving a small nod of her head. That was his queue, his body and mind going primal as he claimed her hard and deep. Neither of them lasted long, Frankie screaming his name seconds before he growled hers and then collapsed on top of her.
Neither moved, both of them wrapped in a post-coital haze of dopamine and oxytocin. Boyd was the first to move, rolling to the side so as not to squash Frankie. As he moved he kept an arm around Frankie so she rolled with him, their bodies staying face to face as they both settled on their sides. Frankie instantly snuggled closer, Boyd automatically wrapping his arms around her and weaving one of his legs between hers so they were touching from head to toe. Without moving too much Boyd managed to hook the quilt with his foot and wriggle it up so he could pull it over them both. He felt Frankie yawn against his chest as her body came down from its high, that and the solid week of late nights and early mornings they had both done to wrap up their last case.
Frankie was just drifting off to sleep when she felt a kiss on her forehead before Boyd mumbled something, something that sounded very much like him saying sorry. She shifted her head a little and looked up at Boyd, his eyes locking with hers as she did.
"What is there to be sorry for?" Her mind and body instantly went into fight or flight mode as she tried to pull away from him.
"I thought you were asleep." His tone was remorseful as he tried to pin Frankie in place.
"Well, I'm not now. What are your sorry for Boyd? The meal, leading me on, screwing me again, what Boyd, what are you sorry for?" Using more force as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.
"Shit Frankie, none of those. Keep still before you hurt one of us." Easing his grip on her but not letting her go completely. "I'm sorry for hurting you, for letting you go, for making you feel like I didn't want you. In the beginning, I thought it was a bit of fun, no strings attached, sex with a woman who was way younger than me and way outta my league." his eyes never left hers as he spoke. "It became more than that, so much more. If it wasn't for Jen being pregnant with Matthew I wouldn't have ended it, Christ I would probably have left her and started fresh with you." Knowing Frankie had once had in her precession a letter he wrote saying just that.
Frankie blinked rapidly, the tears that were stinging her eyes slipping down her cheeks as she lost the battle to keep them in check.
"Please, Frankie, Christ I've messed up again." Seeing the tears slowly run down Frankie's cheeks.
He reached up and wiped them away with his thumb before leaning his head forward and kissing her forehead.
"I never meant to hurt you, Frankie. Not then, and certainly not now. Not now when we have nothing to hide and no one to hide from. You mean the world to me, Frankie, even if I don't say it enough." Placing another kiss on her forehead before tilting her head back so he could kiss her lips.
Frankie returned the kiss, tears still managing to slip out from behind her closed eyes. When the kiss ended Frankie opened her eyes and looked at Boyd, seeing his facial expression was both open and honest. He meant every word he had said, and she could see it right there on his face. She swallowed and licked her suddenly dry lips.
"I know, I'm just feeling a little insecure. We've been here and I thought I was going to lose you again. I can't lose you, Boyd, I love you too much." Finally saying the three words neither of them had ever said to each other before.
Boyd's face nearly lit up when he heard Frankie say she loved him, something neither of them had been free to say before now.
"I love you too, Frankie." Seeing her smile he repeated the same three words back to her before he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
Time seemed to stand still as they hugged each other, their world finally put to rights with three simple words. Frankie ended up breaking the moment with a big yawn against Boyd's shoulder.
"You need some sleep, and so do I." Easing back just enough so he could lean down and kiss her.
"Good night, Peter.' Frankie managed to say between yawns before rolling over completely and facing away from Boyd.
Boyd knew the code, his queue to snuggle up behind her and wrap his arms around her to keep her safe. Once Frankie was tucked in against his chest he lay watching her for several minutes before he yawned himself.
They got there in the end, and the struggle was finally over. She was his and he was hers, it was that simple.