He stopped in front of the restroom mirror before leaving, only to find that a telling, goofy, grin spread across his face from ear to ear and he could do nothing to rein it in. At the moment he was simply too happy and excited to care. He knew now that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her, which meant there was nothing to stand between them but the time between this moment and when they could be alone again. As he was about to step out of the bathroom, he caught a whiff of himself. Unfortunately, the time spent in that horrible cistern had coated him in that revolting stench. Ugh, he couldn’t seduce her knowing he smelled of sewage, even if she swore she didn’t care. She deserved more, perfection. Sighing, he reluctantly decided that he needed to grab a shower before he found that wonderfully private spot he had just been thinking about.
After leaving the bathroom, and tossing his gear into the crime lab van, he was barking instructions at the C.S.I.s when Elizabeth came around the corner. Seeing her flush when their eyes met broke his concentration. Centering himself, he attempted to pick up where he left off, trying not to focus on the movements of her body as she tossed her suit into the van with his. After giving them instructions to take the materials he and Elizabeth had collected back to the crime lab, he led her to his car. An awkward silence had settled between them as he pulled the car out of the park. The tension was so thick it was hard for him to breath.
“Liz, I think maybe we should talk about…what just happened. I, well…” Now that the moment had come, he was lost for words. There was so much he wanted to say, but he couldn’t figure out how.
“Oh. You don’t have to say anything. I guess it was just the hormonal response to a fright. I’m sorry…it…it won’t happen again.” Her voice sounded so hurt and filled with sadness that he almost screamed. Unable to cope with the thought that she believed he was rejecting her, he jerked the car dangerously across two, very busy, lanes of traffic. Skidding to a stop, he slammed the car into park. It was almost violent how fast he reached for her, but his hands were gentle as he caught her face. Pulling her to him, he paused, her mouth so close to his that his lips brushed over hers as he breathed.
“Don’t ever apologize for that. It was beautiful. You’re so beautiful. Oh god, Liz…it scares me how badly I want you. How much I need you.” His eyes searched hers, trying to find the words, and the courage to say them, and failing. When her lips parted on a gasp, he seized her mouth, unable to wait another second. They sat, straining against their seat-belts, devouring each other for what seemed like forever. With each nibble he gave her, she returned one to him and in this way they fed off of each other, one intimate movement at a time. The more of her he took, the more of herself she gave him, driving his body to shake under her touch.
Her small hands had slipped around his neck and her delft fingers were tangling and combing through the hair on the back of his neck. One small hand slid around the front of his neck and traced the muscle divide that ran down the center of his torso. Reaching the waist of his pants, her fingers had turned and slid their way back to his neck again, gliding over his taunt flesh, hidden by the thin layer of his shirt. His hands found her body, too. His fingers ran down her shoulders and along her sides, pulling forward slightly, he let his thumbs brush over the plump swells of her breasts, causing her to whimper.
The world went silent and dark, nothing existed outside of his car, beyond her arms, her body. Dragging his thumbs over her breasts again in small circular motions, he felt the peaks of her nipples grow firm under his touch. Pulling away from her mouth slightly he moaned again. “Holy shit, Liz…I…I can’t…I need…” Her mouth found his again, cutting him off. As much as he reveled in her aggression, there was something he needed to tell her, something she needed to hear. Pulling back again, he tried to clear his mind, organize his thoughts in the cloudy swirl of his passion fill heart. “Wait, Liz, I need to say this…” This time it was her finger that stopped him.
“Whatever it is, I will hear you out, but honestly, right now Matt, I just want to be with you.” She pressed her forehead to his and smiled. They were both panting now, out of breath from the ferocity of their activities. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, pulling it toward him slightly, causing her to groan.
“Your mouth is so perfect.”
“Matt, hehe, shut up…” He kissed her again. Slowly, passionately, this time. As his hands moved to return to her breasts, a tap at his window jerked him from her so violently that his head bounced painfully off his headrest. Looking up, a traffic cop was beaming down at them slyly from the other side of the glass.
Elizabeth pulled back to her seat so fast she hit her elbow hard on the door handle. Crossing her arms over her chest in an effort to cover her arousal, she rubbed her hand soothingly over her aching joint. Her face was now beat red and she was completely out of breath, perfect timing for a cop to come along, she mused, begrudgingly. She watched, utterly embarrassed, as Matt rolled the window down for the police officer. Matt seemed just as flustered as she was, but the officer seemed to be familiar with this particular embarrassing situation.
“Good afternoon, sir. Are you aware that you are sticking out in traffic and that engaging in physical activities behind the wheel of a car is against the law?” He was so calm that it made her giggle a little. How often had he come across this exact situation for him to be so casual about it?
“Oh, ah, yes, officer I do. Sorry, I just got caught up in the moment. It won’t happen again. I promise.” The shyness in Matt’s voice made her insides cry out to hold him again.
“Can I get your license and registration , sir?” She had to giggle again. Oh god, what was he going to think when he discovered that Matt was a homicide detective, caught making out with his partner, in a car pulled only halfway off the road? If it wasn’t so thrillingly embarrassing, she might have found it funny.
Matt handed his paperwork to the officer in embarrassed silence and they both watched as he returned to his patrol car, parked in the lane behind them, blocking traffic completely. Turning to her, he reached down and took her hand. Right now, she knew it was all he dared. “I wonder what his reaction is going to be when he runs my name?” Sharing a look, they both burst into nervous laughter. They were still chuckling when the patrolman returned.
“Sorry about that Detective, it’s just that, well, you are illegally parked and, well, engaging in…” The officer was the one who was embarrassed now. He couldn’t even finish his thought. Matt smiled warmly as he took his paperwork back.
“Don’t apologize, officer. I was breaking the law and you were doing your job. If you feel you need to write me a ticket then please do.” Matt’s words seemed to cause the officer even more distress.
Clearing his throat halfheartedly, he continued, “I think this time I let you off with a verbal warning, after all, I have been in love myself.” He smiled shyly at Elizabeth before continuing. “Just be a bit more deliberate next time. Oh, there is a message for you on the official boards. A Captain Moreano wants to see you, and a Detective Cord, right away.” When Matt shot Elizabeth a quick glance, the patrol officer sank even farther into his shoes and backed away, realizing suddenly that he had just pulled over, not one, but two homicide detectives for making-out like common teenagers. Not able to contain his embarrassment any longer, he turned and almost fled back to his patrol car without so much as a goodbye. Honking his horn, he motioned for Matt to pull out while he had traffic stopped. Elizabeth expected him to release her hand, but before he did, he pulled it to his mouth and kissed it gently on the knuckles.
His lips still pressed against her, he said, “We’ll continue this later.” Letting go of her hand slowly, he pulled the car back out onto the road and headed for the precinct. She snuggled down into her seat and sighed deeply. As he drove, she gazed out the window, passion and pleasure making her eye lids heavy and her vision blurred. Occasionally, when traffic was calm enough for him to spare a hand, she would feel his fingers land lightly on her thigh. Each time, hi
s touch sent waves of fire licking over her body, making her heart pound against the crumbling ice wall that, now, just barely hemmed it in.
Chapter 19
She had hoped they would be alone in the elevator, imagining what their exchange would be like if they had been able to truly hold each other, free of those annoying seat-belts, but the crowd standing in front of the elevator doors as they entered the precinct’s main floor dashed her hopes. Joining the crowd, Matt managed to squeeze her hand and smile sadly at her. Apparently, he was hoping the same thing. It made her flustered to think that he could want her as much as she wanted him. Flustered and excited. When the elevator arrived, they crowded onto it with everyone else, standing just close enough for their fingers to brush together secretly. She laughed to herself that they were behaving like teenagers again, sneaking small touches while the teacher wasn’t looking.
When the doors opened onto their floor, the whole room was abuzz. They made their way through the bustle of passing detectives, weaving through the groups gathered in any free space not already occupied. She had never seen so many people in the office at one time. Matt gave her a look that mirrored her own confusion, as he ducked around a particularly loud detective engaging in a heated discussion on the telephone with someone who wasn’t answering his questions fast enough, whatever his questions had been to begin with. Taking her hand for a second, Barrow pulled her around a ridiculously large group of arguing detectives and uniformed officers, but he released her suddenly when they found themselves face to face with Captain Moreano.
“Finally! Are we not answering our cell phones anymore? I’ve been trying to reach you two for over an hour!” The anger in his voice and his frantic motion for them to follow him, forced her to push any romantic notions to the back of her mind. As they took the last few turns toward his office, he continued, “There’s been another murder. Looks like the same killer. We are officially dealing with a serial now, though we haven’t released that to the media yet.”
“Another? Already? I’ve never heard of a serial killer as methodical as our guy killing again this quickly!” Matt reached his hand back for hers as he spoke and she took it. He squeezed her hand bracingly, knowing that in all likelihood she was about to hear some more very bad news.
Taking a deep breath, she called out to Moreano from the back of their little train, “Do we know who the victims are this time? Where is the scene?” She shored herself up to hear a familiar name or place. So far this killer had gone out of his way to target people she knew, cared about. Despite the fact that the list was abnormally short, there were still names on it that he hadn’t crossed out yet.
“Actually, it looks like this might be our first scene, not our third. The victims are an unknown male and female found in an abandoned house in the Hamptons. By all accounts, the scene looks to be at least two to three weeks old, but we have one of our medical examiners headed there now to collect the bodies. Hopefully we can identify the John and Jane Doe quickly so we can figure out how they relate to our current list.” He finished as he turned through the door of his office. Elizabeth and Matt released their hands with a jerk and moved quickly to the chairs in front of his desk. Strictly speaking, interoffice romance, while not forbidden, was frowned upon. Most people who chose to engage, did so with a considerable level of discretion.
“Are the other crime scene details a match for our two recent homicides? Same M.O., body placement? Are we sure this is our guy?” She was trying to sound professional, collected, but inside she was all in knots, secretly freaking out, wondering if this nameless couple was somehow connected to her like the others. After her parent’s death, she had been shipped off to distant relatives who lived in the Hamptons. Finishing high school there, she had gotten to know quite a few people who called the picturesque sea side town home, at least part-time. Her only comfort just now was that she had spoken with her aunt and uncle less than two days before and that a good friend, the town busy body, had not reported any people disappearing to her during their phone call over a week ago.
“Looks like it. Our cases have been plastered all over the news, so when the locals wandered into the scene, they called us right away. From the details they gave us, it’s definitely our guy. I need you two to head over there this afternoon and take a look, talk to the locals, try to figure out who they might have been, who owns the house they were found in, and how they relate to our case. I expect to have a report before I go home tonight. It’s almost noon, so I suggest you get going.” As they started to stand and leave, Moreano’s nose scrunched. “Wait, maybe before you go, you should take a shower. You two reek. That reminds me, did you find anything interesting in the cistern?” Elizabeth’s eyes snapped to Matthew’s, and for a minute they exchanged a nervous glance, trying to decide what to say. When his phone rang, and, without even so much a wrist flick in their direction, he turned to answer it, they quietly saw themselves out, both sighing with relief at the happy coincidence.
Elizabeth followed Matt to their desks. Despite everything that had happened between them in the last hour, right now they were all business. Exchanging a look, they had come to a silent agreement that they would get back around to them when this was taken care of. Her hands moved quickly as she collected all the information they had managed to gather so far on the two crime scenes they already had, while Matt gathered together some extra evidence bags and a recording device for interviewing any witnesses they might find. Nodding to each other when they had gathered everything they needed, they left for the elevator. Ironically, they found themselves all alone now and too shaken to take advantage of it.
“I think I should take a cab to my place to shower, you head to yours, and then come by and get me. My place is closer to the bridge than yours.” She was trying to sound responsible and rational, but she couldn’t help wondering if he was going to insist that he take her home. Part of her wanted him to, a big part, if she were honest with herself, but the other part knew exactly what that would mean and they couldn’t afford to give in to their personal desires at the moment.
“Sounds reasonable. Just one question…” Elizabeth looked up from the files in her hands to find him drawing very close to her, his face stopping so near to hers that she could feel his eyelashes on her forehead. “How do you know where I live, Liz?” When she gasped he kissed her quickly, winking as he pulled back. His fleeting kiss left her weak, off balance.
Staggering a little, she squared her shoulders. “I checked out your employment file after I was assigned to be your partner.” When he turned to her, a mild look of shock on his face, she chuckled slightly. “What? Don’t pretend you didn’t look at mine.” His look faded into a wicked smile.
“I would have, but someone had already pulled it. Guess you got lucky.” She smiled back at him as the doors opened on the main lobby.
Giving him one last look from the taxi window as it pulled away, she sighed and leaned back into the seat. Her heart felt so full it might pop. Then, remembering where she was headed, the full feeling she had just praised fled from her. Someone she knew, likely cared about, was lying dead in the Hamptons, just waiting for her to come and see them.
Matt could barely concentrate enough to drive without Elizabeth next to him. What was happening to him? He had always been such an independent person and now, just over a week into their partnership, only hours into what might be a relationship, she had become essential to him. She had transformed from the epicenter of all his nervous excitement and distracting passion into the source of all his calm and contentment in a single blissful kiss. His time away from her had become painful and colorless. Speeding up, he decided that the only thing for him to do was hurry back to her.
Conveniently forgetting that he had almost gotten a traffic ticket only a matter minutes earlier, he made it to his building’s parking structure in record time. Tapping his foot impatiently on the elevator floor, he groaned at the time it was taking to reach his thirty-second floor apartment. He had never no
ticed before how slowly his elevator climbed. He paced back and forth in the small space until the doors opened onto his floor, and he all but ran to his door. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his body and fiddled with the locks. His apartment spread out before him. It was a large set of rooms with a wonderful view of the city skyline, but, honestly, it had always felt empty and cold.
He had very little furniture, and what he did have was firm and uncomfortable. There was no color to be found. Interior design was not his strong suit. The only thing about his place that he truly loved, aside from his massive king sized bed, was his giant TV and his extensive movie collection. For a moment he remembered the cozy, well designed interior of her apartment. It had been warm and comfortable, bathed in color and plush. Even better, had been her entertainment center, almost as impressive as his own. he allowed himself to imagine her curled up on her comfy couch, feet tucked under her, watching an action movie with rapt attention. From there his mind drifted to her, in her apartment, showering at that very moment, and his insides clinched. For a second he allowed the intoxicating fantasy to envelop him before he reluctantly shook it away. She was expecting him.
His shower had been quick, but successful, as he confirmed that he no longer smelled of that horrid cistern anymore. Dressing quickly, he locked his door and made his way back to his car. As he turned out of his parking garage onto the street, his stomach growled loudly. Looking at the dashboard clock, he found that it was just past lunchtime. The drive to the Hamptons was over an hour and they might not get a chance to eat when they got there. Deciding that she would probably be hungry too, he made a detour past a tiny dinner he frequented just blocks from his apartment. He ate there often, as they made what was by far the best burger he had ever tasted. Once inside, he ordered his and stood staring at the menu, trying to decide what to get her. He had seen her eat a few times, but nothing on their menu was on the list of things he knew she liked. Taking a chance, he ordered her the same thing he had ordered for himself. A qualm of doubt made him call out, “no bacon on that last one,” as the counter girl walked away.
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