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geekystudmuffinTitle: When Dave Met Emily (2/3)
Authors:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
innerslytherin and severity_softly
Pairing: Rossi/Prentiss
Rating: NC-17
WC: 22,100
Summary: When Dave set Emily up with his friend, he didn't think they would hit it off quite so well. Not that it's a problem or anything. Really. Dave wants Emily to be happy. Just...not with someone else.
Notes: This fic is our Rossi/Prentiss version of When Harry Met Sally.
Part One
Emily liked Joe Martelli a lot. He was a nice guy without being boring, and he had a great sense of humor. And even better, he understood her friendship with Dave. She wouldn't have been able to date a guy who was jealous of Dave or didn't like him. Joe didn't have a problem with her job and wasn't intimidated by her. His marriage had fallen apart because of the job, so he understood the demands and strains it could put on a relationship.
None of that explained why she'd been taking their relationship so slowly and hadn't even thought about introducing him to her mother. She liked him a lot. She was attracted to him, and she certainly enjoyed spending time with him.
But she hadn't slept with him, and even someone as backwards at dating as she was knew that generally speaking they probably should have at least gotten to the "keeping a toothbrush at each others' house" stage by now.
They were having lunch before he had to fly out to a conference in Vegas when she had an idea. Her friend Angie was a lawyer in the city, working for a non-profit that provided legal representation for underprivileged women. They'd gone to college together, and Angie and Dave might hit it off.
"Joe," Emily said thoughtfully, "what would you think about a double date?"
"Mm?" he hummed, looking up from his sandwich. "With who?" He didn't sound disinterested at all.
She frowned. "Dave. I have this friend, Angie Hollister, that I think he might like. She's always wanted to meet him--not because he's Rossi, you know, but because he's my friend. And he seems..." She sighed. "I don't know, I can't put my finger on it. But I want him to be happy."
Joe nodded slowly. "I don't see him as often as you do, but I've noticed too. Sure, a double date is fine with me. Last time we went on one it worked out well," he said, smiling.
"Thanks," she said, beaming at him. "I'm hoping it works out as well for him as it has for us." She slid her hand across the table and curled her fingers around his. God, she really liked him. She was lucky. Something must be wrong with her that she hadn't latched onto him more tightly.
"Yeah," Joe agree, nodding. "What did you have in mind?"
"You get back on Friday, right?" When he nodded, she said, "Maybe Saturday the four of us could have dinner. Angie and I have been talking about getting together, and I'm sure I could talk her into a double date. Dave might be the real challenge. Can I get you to try to set that part up?" She gave him a look she'd learned from watching Morgan sweet-talk people into things, and was relieved when he laughed and agreed.
She drove him to the airport and held on to him longer than she usually would have. "You're a good man, Joe Martelli," she whispered when she kissed him goodbye. "Text me and let me know you got there."
***
The week passed fairly uneventfully. They worked a child abduction case in Charleston, but it was wrapped up quickly when they questioned the boy's grandmother and realized she'd been protecting her daughter. With the child safely restored to his father, the team was able to fly home in time for their double date.
Dave wasn't really all that enthused. He hadn't really had to see Joe and Emily together since he'd stupidly set them up, and he liked it that way. Now they were taking him on a double date with one of Emily's friends. He didn't really want a date. He didn't really care about Emily's friend, other than that if he had to go on a date he didn't want, he hoped she was a redhead.
At least Emily had agreed to let him pick the restaurant. She'd probably gotten tired of him grumping about the whole thing. She'd assured him several times that Angie wanted to meet him because he was Emily's friend, not because he was famous or rich. That didn't really make it any better.
Of course, Emily had insisted he pick Angie up, and Dave thought blaming car trouble would be too suspicious, so he agreed. He dressed nicely, not that he ever really didn't. He didn't even wear a tie for work, though, so he certainly wasn't wear a tie for this. When he got there, he took in the house, nice but not flashy, then he sighed and went up to the door to knock.
"Coming!" called a voice, and he heard high heels approaching. There was a pause where she obviously checked the peephole, then the door opened. "David Rossi. I have heard so much about you."
She wasn't a redhead. Damn it. She was pretty. She had chin-length brown hair and light olive skin, and a very nice smile. She was wearing a dress and dark-framed glasses. "Could you come in for just a minute? I promise I'm almost ready." She held out a hand to shake.
"Sure," he said, shaking her hand and stepping inside. He looked around. Her house was nicely decorated, chic, it looked like a lawyer's house. She looked like a lawyer. Aaron was the only lawyer Dave had ever liked.
"C'mere, Sweetpea!" she called. "Come on, it's time for Mommy to go!" A moment later he heard a meow and the biggest orange cat he'd ever seen came running into the room. Angie grinned at him. "He knows he gets treats when I leave," she explained. She spilled a half dozen cat treats on the floor, then went over to the counter, which was scattered with a briefcase, papers, mail, and other items. She grabbed a BlackBerry and a large purse, then got her house keys. "Shoot, hang on a sec," she said, and dropped them all on the counter again before running out of the room. When she came back she carried a cloud of scent with her and was struggling to fasten a necklace.
"Help me out?" she asked, and turned to present the back of her neck to him, holding up both ends of the necklace.
Dave frowned at the back of her head, pressing his lips together. He counters were cluttered and she made a mess of her floor and now she was wanting him to do stuff you shouldn't ask of a man you just met. He held in a sigh and did it anyway, ignoring the alcohol smell of her perfume.
It was very possible that he had a bad attitude about this, but he really didn't care. He'd be a gentleman to her anyway.
"Thanks," she said, giving him a big smile. "Okay, I'm all set. Are Em and her boyfriend meeting us at the restaurant?"
"Yeah," Dave said, managing a smile. It didn't feel right, but she wasn't a profiler, and by the time they got to the restaurant, he could make it feel right. He held her door for her, then waited until she locked it behind them. "How long have you know Emily?"
"Oh, we met at college," she said. "We were in a study group together." She followed him to the car and thanked him when he got the door for her, which surprised him. He'd half expected to be snapped at that she could open her own door. When he got in the driver's seat, she went on. "Actually we got into an argument about the role of diplomacy in post World War II American policy." She grinned. "I didn't find out until after Em handed my ass to me that her mother was an Ambassador."
Dave chuckled, but his heart wasn't in it. "Well, thankfully I haven't yet been on the receiving end of an argument with her, though she reminds me regularly that I'm an annoying snob."
Angie snorted. "Oh God, she's so backwards. You know she thinks you hung the moon, right? I have to confess, I didn't have a clue who you were until she started going on and on about some friend from work, and hanging out with you more than she did me--you are so in trouble for that, by the way--and then..." She trailed off, and when she spoke again her voice wasn't as excited, but was somehow more sincere. "And then you helped her out so much when that friend of hers was murdered." Angie gave him another smile. "I sort of feel like I already know you."
Dave smiled when Angie mentioned he'd "hung the moon". It sent a little jolt of hope through him, which he tried to quickly squash. Emily was dating Joe. His smile faded when Angie finished, though, thinking of how hard that case had been on Emily and what she'd told him. He nodded. "She's my best friend," he said simply.
Angie glanced over at him, her expression warm. "I'm glad. I think you're good for her." Then she made a face. "Of course, this does mean if you don't like me, I'll probably never get invited to do anything with her again."
Dave laughed, but felt a little weird at the expectation in that statement, even if she was kidding. "Of course not. Don't I look like a guy that needs to be coddled when things don't go well?"
She laughed. "Somehow I think you can handle yourself." She paused, then touched his arm briefly. "Just so you know, my friendship with Emily is important to me. I'm really glad to meet you, but I hope you aren't feeling pressured or anything over all this."
"I'm not," he said. Trust me, I'm not. Emily knew damn well he didn't want to do this, and he wasn't going to play ball just for her. "But thank you for saying that."
Angie seemed to relax a little once they'd gotten that out of the way. They made small talk about hobbies and sports teams until they arrived at the restaurant. When they got inside, Emily was waiting for them. Emily and Angie hugged, then Angie excused herself to run to the restroom.
"Joe's running a little late," Emily told Dave, "but our table won't be ready for another few minutes anyway." She was watching him closely. "Do you like Angie?"
Dave shrugged. "She's nice."
She raised her eyebrows. "That's specific." She nudged him. "She's pretty, right?"
"Yeah," Dave said. He thought about complaining that she wasn't a redhead and looked like a lawyer, but decided that wasn't a good idea.
Emily sighed, then looked up at him. "Just give her a chance. She's not just a typical lawyer, so you'd better not be holding that against her."
Dave snorted and rolled his eyes. "I'm not," he insisted.
She looked at him for another minute, then shook her head and grinned at him. "Yeah, you probably are. But at least she'll have to stop complaining that I've never introduced her to the guy I talk so much about." Her expression was warm.
"If I didn't know better, I would be starting to think you had a thing for older, annoying snobs," he teased. God, he should not flirt with Emily.
Her grin widened. "Annoying snobs? I can't imagine who you're talking about," she said lightly, though her cheeks looked a little pink.
"Really. I thought I remembered someone you were saying that to not too long ago," Dave said, grinning at her warmly; the color in her cheeks did something funny to him.
She laughed. "I guess I must sort of have a thing for older, annoying snobs, if I let you keep hanging around," she teased.
"Em! Dave! Sorry I'm late." Joe came in and kissed Emily's cheek. Dave couldn't help thinking her smile dimmed just a little when she looked at Joe, that maybe Dave was still special to her in a way that Joe wasn't.
Dave gave Joe a light slap on the shoulder in greeting. "Car trouble again? I'll start to thing that's an excuse to see less of me if that becomes regular."
Joe laughed and sidled up next to Emily, putting an arm around her waist. "No. Mom called on the land line. I couldn't get off the phone."
Angie reappeared then, smiling at them with freshly applied lipstick. Emily made the introductions, and Joe had to take his arm from around her waist to shake the hand Angie held out. The hostess let them know their table was ready, and soon they were all getting settled in with drinks ordered.
Emily got the conversation going, handing out little morsels of information about what everyone did for a living and what hobbies everyone had. Joe asked Angie if she was involved with some piece of gun control legislation that was being discussed, and she responded with far more detail than either Dave or Emily really needed. As the conversation continued, Dave could almost see Emily's eyes glazing over a bit, but Joe and Angie were, almost imperceptibly, scooting around closer to each other as they talked.
Dave caught the end of some joke Joe made while he was watching Emily, and Angie laughed, then reached over and put her hand on Joe's forearm briefly. Huh. Well, it was pretty shitty that Angie was flirting with Joe right in front of Emily. It occurred to him that he should be bothered because Angie was supposed to be his date, but he didn't really give a shit about that. She could make out with their waiter for all he cared.
Glancing over at Emily, he caught a fleeting expression of regret on her face, but she lifted her glass to her mouth and then the expression was gone. When she looked over at him a moment later, she rolled her eyes and gave him a faint smile instead.
He snorted and reached over to touch her forearm briefly, giving her a lopsided, teasing smile.
Emily scooted closer to him. "I guess we could retaliate by talking about the last crime scene we worked," she murmured, her smile strengthening.
Dave chuckled. "That's appetizing."
She smirked. "So what are you doing for the rest of the weekend?" she asked. Apparently she'd decided to ignore Joe and Angie's conversation.
He shrugged. "Didn't really have plans." Are you going out with lover boy? he wanted to ask, but held it in. To his credit, Joe looked somehow uncomfortable and interested at the same time.
"You know, you're really lucky I drag you out places," she told him. "You wouldn't have any social life at all if it weren't for me."
"I work hard. I'm not as young as you are," he said, but he was grinning.
She snorted and shook her head. "You're such a faker." She nudged his arm just as the waiter came back with their food. The conversation lagged for a bit while they ate, but eventually Angie seemed to remember she was supposed to be Dave's date and turned her attention back to him for a while. Emily seemed quieter than usual, but Dave wasn't sure how to read her expression as Angie's fingers brushed against his.
Joe excused himself to the restroom and after a moment Emily said she was going to go too. Angie shifted closer to Dave. "God, I've been monopolizing the conversation, haven't I?" she said, giving him an embarrassed look.
"Completely," Dave said, but he smiled in a good-natured way.
She sighed. "I'd never met Joe either. He's a really great guy, isn't he? I've never seen Emily smile as much as she is tonight." She propped her chin on her hand and smiled at Dave. "You're really protective of her."
That surprised Dave. He was, but he wasn't sure what brought that up. "I am?"
Angie smirked faintly. "You've been glaring at Joe, and I'm pretty sure it's because he was talking to me instead of Emily. I'm sorry about that. I tend to get a little enthusiastic when people are actually interested in my work. Most people think lawyers are boring." She looked amused.
"Or a hard ass," Dave agreed. "My other best friend is like that."
Angie laughed. "He must be a prosecutor."
Dave smiled. "Yeah, he is. Well, he used to be. Great guy, but it's nearly impossible to make him smile. If you're not as charming as I am," he joked.
"God. You don't think much of yourself, do you?" she replied, shaking her head. She glanced up as Joe came back to the table. Emily was a couple of steps behind him.
"Sorry, we got talking on our way back," Emily said, settling back into her chair. She smiled at Dave, then glanced at Angie, her smile fading a little. "Anyone feel like having dessert?"
"I'm pretty full," Dave said. He had finished off his plate, but truthfully he could have gone for something chocolate. He just didn't want Emily sitting here watching Joe and Angie together.
"I think I need a piece of apple pie a la mode," Joe said. "You want to split it, Em?"
"Mm, nope, I want chocolate." She smiled at him and glanced over at Angie, who shook her head.
When their dessert arrived, though, Emily only ate about half of it before she sighed and gave up. Finally she pushed it over in front of Dave. "Here, you finish it," she ordered.
"I said I was full," Dave protested, but he was picking up his spoon as he said it.
"And he never says anything he doesn't mean," Joe said, gesturing at where Dave was already digging. Dave gave him a weak glare and flipped him off.
Emily grinned at Joe. "Yeah, but he always ends up indulging me," she said. "He's sweet that way."
Dave turned his glare on Emily, but didn't turn the gesture on her. He was too busy chewing a bite to reply, and Joe was laughing now.
"And classy," he teased.
Yeah, and it's real classy to be flirting with my "date" in front of Emily, is it?
"Of course," Emily agreed, looping a hand through Dave's arm. "It's his class that first made me like him." She lifted her head to grin at Dave, and he wasn't sure if he was just imagining that her grin was warmer than it should be.
Angie cleared her throat and Emily sat back, glancing at her. "You know, I'm still sort of jet-lagged or something from the case," Emily said after a moment. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'd really kind of like to head home soon."
"Yeah," Dave agreed, and looked up in time to see Joe shoot a glance at Angie, before looking at Dave.
"Oh, well, we should do this again," Joe said regretfully.
Fat chance.
Emily smiled faintly and sipped her wine. "This has been fun," she agreed, looking from Angie to Joe. She reached a hand over to Joe, who took it automatically. "I just knew you guys would all get along," she added.
Dave forced himself to keep smiling as Joe took Emily's hand, then he gave a dramatic sigh and said, "I'm beat, guys."
Emily nodded. "It really was a long couple of days," she told the others. "Look, if you guys wanted to stay, Dave could probably drop me off..." She glanced at Joe.
Joe looked at Angie, who shrugged, then back at Emily. "I really don't mind taking you home if you want to go."
"I know you don't mind, but it's still early. I feel bad." Emily looked over at Dave. "You wouldn't mind taking me home, would you?"
Dave shook his head. "No," he said, looking at Angie when he saw Joe's hand tighten on Emily's.
Angie shrugged again. "To be honest, I could go for another drink," she told Dave, then looked at Emily. "You sure you don't mind? It seems weird for me to hang out with your boyfriend while you go home."
Emily laughed faintly. "Come on, we're all adults here. I trust both of you, and after the number of times we made fun of Julie's 'Girlfriend Code of Honor' bullshit at Yale--"
Angie started laughing too, and held out a hand. "Okay, I pinky-swear I won't get drunk and make out with Joe," she said.
Dave snorted as Emily smiled and wrapped her finger with Angie's, then stood. Dave gave them a nod and stood as well, holding a hand out to shake Angie's. It was an obvious 'I'm really not that into you' message. He hoped she understood Unspoken Man Language. "It was nice to meet you," he said.
Her eyebrows went up briefly, but she smiled and stood to shake Dave's hand. "You too. Especially after hearing so much about you." She went around the table to hug Emily. "Call me. We haven't done a dumb action flick marathon in a while."
"We come off rotation in a couple of weeks, and I'll definitely be ready for junk food and action flicks," Emily said. She kissed Joe on the cheek and then turned to lead the way out of the restaurant.
Dave nodded his goodbyes, and gave Joe a friendly slap on the back as he walked out. It was probably a little harder than absolutely necessary, but Joe didn't really respond to that, thankfully.
Dave and Emily were quiet as they went outside and headed for Dave's car. He put his hand on her back and guided her in front of him as they passed through a narrow part of the guard rail that surrounded the parking lot. He knew he shouldn't. He shouldn't touch her knowing he wanted her just because he needed to punch Joe in the face.
When they got in the car, he turned the stereo on quietly and waited for her to buckle her seat belt before pulling out. They drove for a few minutes without saying anything, when Dave sighed. "You were never really supposed to fall for Joe anyway," he said casually.
She glanced over at him, obviously surprised. "What?"
He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "I didn't invite him on the double date... nevermind."
She frowned and turned in her seat to face him. "I didn't 'fall for' him," she said. "I like him. He's handsome and kind. But you can't just say that sort of thing and expect to get away with a 'nevermind'. So what? You didn't invite him in the double date...what?"
"So you would fall for him," Dave said, sighing. He shouldn't have opened his mouth.
She tilted her head, watching him. "Why did you invite him, then? What was I supposed to do?"
"Rescue me from my ex-wife," Dave said. He was starting to get frustrated now.
"I thought I did that." She was smiling faintly. After a moment she reached out and rested a hand on his arm. "Dave..." She sighed. "Look, I like Joe. Like I said, he's good-looking, he's interesting, he understands how important you are to me..." She trailed off and shook her head. "We haven't even slept together. It...would feel sort of like leading him on. There's absolutely nothing wrong with him, except..." She shrugged.
Dave felt a funny combination of hope and relief wash through him at that, but he just pressed his lips together and looked ahead. "Good. I like the guy. I didn't want to have to break his nose."
She was silent for so long that he glanced over at her. Her lips parted, she was staring at the dashboard with an expression of blank surprise on her face. She must have felt his gaze on her, because after a moment she shook herself and looked at him. "What? Why?"
Then he wondered if she hadn't noticed the flirting. He wasn't really sure he wanted to break that to her, but she had to have seen it. "For... the way he and Angie were..." He made a vague gesture.
"Oh." She shrugged. "It was obvious you didn't like her. Maybe once I let him know he's under no obligations to me, and assure her that no groveling is really necessary, the two of them can be happy together." She huffed a laugh and then seemed to realize she still had her hand on his arm. Folding her hands together in her lap, she sighed. "They both deserve happiness. I think Angie's had almost as bad dating luck as I have, and Joe..." She made a vague gesture. "The divorce was hard on him. I think I was safe."
Dave frowned, a little confused, and glanced at her. "You're not upset your boyfriend just flirted with my date all night?"
"Not really." Emily gave him a regretful smile. "And what does that really say about whatever Joe and I have between us?"
Dave wasn't really sure why that didn't make him feel much better. It should. "Not much," he admitted.
She shook her head. "It was nice to have him show interest in me. It made me feel good." She smiled. "But as nice a guy as Joe is...I really enjoy spending time with you more than I ever have with him." She darted a glance at him, but when he looked back at her, she was gazing at the dashboard again.
A slow smile spread across Dave's lips. "You say that like I'm normally so aloof."
She snorted. "You know what I mean." She looked over at him with a wry smile. "You and I don't exactly have a flowers and chocolates kind of relationship, so I had to go looking for that somewhere else." She nudged him.
A little jolt went through him when she said that, and he decided in a half-second to go with his first impulse. Not that that was unusual. "Do you want one?"
"Well, of course, that's why..." She trailed off and stared at him. "Do you mean...us?" she whispered finally.
Dave nodded. "Yeah, why not?"
She blinked. "Just that simple? I didn't have any idea you might want that."
Dave felt himself grin. "I didn't either, right up until you started dating Joe and were suddenly unavailable. C'mon, men don't have female friends this close that they haven't thought about it with."
"Oh, right, okay, so I was just greener grass," she muttered. She shifted in her seat and folded her arms. "Don't worry, I won't be 'unavailable' any more."
"What do you mean 'greener grass'?" Dave asked, forcing his voice to remain calm, though his confusion was evident. "I just..." I was just trying to say I want you, damn it.
"You know, the greener grass on the other side of the fence. Only wanting me because you suddenly couldn't have me." She gestured. "Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head."
Dave opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. Shit. The moment was gone. He drew a deep breath and said, "Ah, well, if you ever want a go..." If she hadn't picked up on what he meant, she probably wasn't interested. Of course, he realized a second late that this might not have been the best response, though. He hoped he'd sounded joking.
"Gee, yeah, I'll be sure to let you know," she said sarcastically. She turned her head to look out the side window.
Dave shook his head at himself and decided the best way to respond to that was to shut his mouth. The rest of the drive to her house was silent.
***
Emily sighed and frowned down at the report she was trying to file. They'd all picked up a lot more paperwork since Haley was killed. It had been Morgan's idea, since he'd had a taste of what the job required, and they all wanted to find a way to help out. She didn't mind doing the reports, but paperwork was harder when she was distracted, and today she was plenty distracted.
She and Joe had split amicably six weeks earlier and she'd told him and Angie both that she wanted them to be happy together. She meant it, too. She liked them both a lot, and it was easy to see they had a blazing chemistry that Joe and Emily never had. Joe and Angie didn't bother her. What bothered her was the way she'd been thinking about Dave ever since.
She'd realized as he was driving her home that the reason she and Joe didn't work was that Joe wasn't Dave. Dave was everything she wanted in a partner, and it had been staring her in the face all this time. And she'd had a glorious and terrifying thirty seconds when she thought he was actually proposing they get together...then he'd made it obvious that it was a flippant remark. Ever since, she'd been stewing over the whole thing and trying to push the feelings away, since he clearly didn't really feel the way she did.
Finally she pushed the paperwork all into a desk drawer and shut down her computer. It was past six and she was just going to swing by a carry-out place and head home.
That was the plan, anyway. She was only halfway home when her cell phone rang. She fished it out and answered without looking, and was greeted by the sound of her mother's voice. The rest of the way home, Emily had to listen to updates on people she could barely keep straight and didn't really care about...right up until the moment her mother said, "Oh, and we got an invitation to Senator Ashwood's wedding. Jacob Ashwood, you know? Didn't you two date when you were in high school?"
A shock went through Emily. Jacob Ashwood had been her first serious love. "College, mother," she managed, hoping her voice sounded normal.
"College. Mmm, well, he sent your invitation here as well. I forwarded it to you, so it should be arriving any day."
Emily got out of her car and stopped at the mailbox, where sure enough she had an envelope addressed in her mother's bold hand. God. "Mother, I have to go. I'm going into a store," she lied. They said quick goodbyes and she tore open the envelope. "God," she whispered, staring at the names in gorgeous script on creamy vellum.
She had adored Jacob, but she'd been a woman with a plan, and she wasn't going to take the backseat to anyone's career in politics. She'd broken it off their junior year and they hadn't spoken in years, not until they met at a function in Washington shortly after her transfer to Quantico. It had been a friendly meeting and she'd been reminded of everything she'd given up. She hadn't spent any time dwelling over it at the time, but it hurt to see his wedding invitation all the same.
Half a pint of ice cream and two glasses of wine later, it seemed like a brilliant idea to call Dave for comfort. She'd always been able to go to him before when she was unhappy, and even if they didn't have the flowers and chocolates kind of relationship, she knew she could count on him. She hit her speed dial and laid her head down on the kitchen table, waiting for him to pick up.
As soon as she said hello, Dave knew something was wrong. She could hear the concern in his voice when he asked if she was okay.
"Are you busy?" she asked. The second glass might have been a bad idea, since she'd been fighting tears for the past ten minutes.
"Not if you need me. Emily, has something happened?"
"He's getting married," Emily blurted. The tears spilled over and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I know we were young and I thought it was the right idea at the time, but now he's getting married and I don't have a boyfriend or even a damn houseplant I can keep alive, and he's getting married!"
There was a silence at the other end of the line, and Emily hiccuped a few sobs. Finally Dave said, "Who the hell are you talking about, Em?" He still sounded concerned, but utterly confused now too.
"Senator Ashwood," she whimpered. "Can you come over? I have ice cream and wine."
"Yeah," Dave said. "I'll see you in a minute."
She probably shouldn't have poured herself another glass of wine, but that was what she did as soon as she hung up. She poured Dave a glass too, then sat down at the kitchen table again and stared at the pictures she'd pulled out from college. She and Jacob had been a good-looking couple, the couple everyone in their group of friends took for granted from the moment they met their freshman year until they split up towards the end of their junior year. Emily had hated sororities and refused to join one, because of her mother, but she'd gone to all Jacob's fraternity formals, and there were pictures of them at games and on spring break.
She was grateful when the pounding on her door interrupted her brooding. Dave would make her feel better. He always made her feel better.
She knew she looked like hell when she answered the door, but when Dave opened his mouth to speak, took a look at her, then hugged her, she knew she looked worse than she suspected. "Mind telling me who Senator Ashwood is?" he said, holding her tight.
She buried her face against his chest. "He was my boyfriend at Yale. For two and a half years it was always Jacobandemily, Emilyandjacob. But he wanted to get into politics and I fucking hate politics so I broke up with him. And I don't even really care that he's marrying this Elisa Chesterton. But if he can find someone, why can't I?" The last word drew out into a little wail and she clutched at Dave's shirt.
"Shh," Dave whispered, and she felt him shift. A moment later at the sound of the door closing, she realized he'd kicked it shut so they had privacy but he didn't have to let her go. It made her sob harder. God, he was such a great guy.
"Don't beat yourself up. For all you know, Elisa Chesterton could be a raving bitch, and you have nothing to be jealous of."
"At least he won't be alone ever again," Emily mumbled, then she let out another sob. "He's a senator, he won't get divorced. He'll pick out a nice photogenic dog and he and his wife will have lots of fat, gorgeous babies, and she's probably younger than him. I don't get to have babies. I don't even have a dog. And I'm going to be forty!"
Dave pulled gently back, his hands squeezing her shoulders like he needed the support. When he met her eyes, his own were concerned. "Have you been drinking?"
"I told you I had wine." She glared at him. "And ice cream. I poured you a glass."
"You poured me a glass of ice cream?" he said, lifting his brows.
She scrunched her nose and thumped his chest gently. "Shut up, you know what I meant. Dave, I want fat, gorgeous babies and a dog! Why can't I get those things?"
"You will," Dave said, and put his arm around her and guided her to the couch. "And if you don't, it's not the end of the world."
"Oh shut up, it's not the same for men," she said, glaring blearily at him. "You don't have this big stupid biological time bomb inside you just waiting to make you feel unfulfilled and miserable if you don't have kids."
"Yeah, but you have one, and I'm starting to get a little afraid of it." Dave sat her down and went to get the wine. He joined her on the couch. "How long do I have before I have to call in ATF?"
It made her laugh through her tears. She snuggled up against him. "Sometimes I really can't stand you," she muttered, which was true, actually. She was pissed off at him for not being serious about them getting together, and she was pissed off at him for being charming and funny and wonderful, and she was really pissed off at him for being so sweet right now. And of course she loved him for all of that. God, she was a mess.
"I know," Dave said. "Doesn't bother me any," he added, and his voice was gentle rather than joking. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, turning his head to kiss the top of hers.
"Shows what you know." She sighed and rested her hand against his chest, curling her fingers in his shirt. "I love you even when I can't stand you, you know," she whispered. "You always make me feel like...well, at least it's okay to be crazy."
"I'm not sure what that says about me," Dave replied, his hand lifting to stroke her hair.
She gave another watery laugh and turned her head until his neck was warm against her forehead, his beard catching a little in her hair. "Maybe you're a sucker for lost causes?" she offered.
"Maybe," Dave said. "Maybe it just makes me look good to hang out with someone crazier than me."
She gave a little gasp and poked him. "You're such a bastard."
His hand stroked through her hair. "You're beautiful and smart and deserve to be happy. Senator what's-his-name should have tried harder to keep you."
"Mm, maybe you're not such a bastard. Remind me again why you don't bring me chocolates and roses?" She sniffled and wished suddenly that she hadn't said anything. He didn't need to know how much that comment had stuck with her.
Dave stilled for a moment, and Emily was about to start panicking when he finally said, "Because I was under the impression you didn't want them from me."
The words sent a flash of heat through her, and she lifted her head to stare at him. The way they were sitting, their faces were close. Very close. She caught her breath, then before she could think better of it, she leaned in and kissed him. She felt him suck in a slow breath, then he kissed her back. His lips parted against hers, his tongue brushing her lower lip, but then he pulled back just enough to whisper, "You're upset."
"Don't care," she mumbled, slipping her fingers up into his hair. "Kiss me."
He let out a little noise she recognized as part apprehension, but mostly desire, and he kissed her again. It sent a pleasant burn through her entire body, and she opened her mouth to him, their tongues sliding together. His hand slid down her side, raising goosebumps, and then his fingers curled around her hip and tugged, obviously wanting her in his lap.
She let out a quiet moan and shifted obediently without breaking the kiss. God, this felt good. Maybe she'd just misunderstood him before; he certainly seemed to want this as much as she did. She kissed him hungrily, tangling her fingers in his hair.
He groaned, his hands sliding over her ass and pulling her tighter against him. "Emily," he murmured, lifting a hand to cup her cheek.
"I do want them from you," she whispered, and kissed him again. She stroked one hand down to rest against his chest, then started working at the top button of his shirt.
"Okay," he breathed, shifting a little when she got lower down his body. When the buttons were open she pushed it off his shoulders and he struggled a little to get out of it in their positions. Once he tossed it to the side of the couch, she stroked her hand down his bare chest, but was interrupted by him pushing her shirt up and over her head. "You're so beautiful," he said, pulling her close to suck at her neck.
She shivered and let out a quiet sigh. This was why she hadn't been able to sleep with Joe. This felt so much better than anything she could have imagined. "So are you," she murmured. She scratched her nails lightly up his skin, more to tickle than anything.
He sucked in a breath and slid his hands up her back, pressing his fingers into her skin in a way that loosened her muscles. Then she felt his teeth against her skin, and her nails scratched harder as she moaned, arching under his touch. His hands moved back down, then slid into the back of her pants and squeezed. "Bedroom."
"Yes," she gasped. She kissed him hard, then slid back off his lap to her feet. She curled her fingers around his and tugged him up with her. They kept touching as she led him back to her bedroom.
When they reached it, he slid his arms around her from behind. The feel of his chest against her back sent shivers through her, and then his hands slid up to cup her breasts, squeezing gently. He let out a low groan and kissed the side of her neck. One of his hands slipped back to unfasten the bra, and he tossed it off, his hands moving back to her breasts as soon as he had.
Emily let out a whimpery breath and tilted her head to let his lips trail down her neck. She lifted one hand to slide her fingers into his hair. He felt so strong against her. She whispered his name.
He made a noise that sounded like a combination of acknowledgment and desire. A hand slipped down on her stomach, tracing a little pattern that made her shiver. He chuckled as that hand moved lower to fumble at the button of her pants.
She gasped and pressed closer so her butt was snug against his groin. She could feel his arousal against her, and it sent a jolt of lust through her. He pushed at her pants once they were open, and murmured, "Off. Want to see you." He bit her skin gently, and she made a small strangled noise before complying and helping him get them off.
Once she'd kicked them off, he took one of her hands and turned her, guiding her a couple feet away from her while still holding her hand. His eyes practically devoured her body. "God, you're beautiful," he whispered.
She could feel herself flushing, but even she wasn't sure whether it was embarrassment or arousal that sent the heat through her. The look on his face was incredible, and even more incredible was the fact that it was for her. "This isn't fair," she said. "I want to see you too."
He chuckled and let go of her hand to unbutton his jeans. His eyes didn't leave her face as he pushed them off until he leaned in, bending down to suck her nipple into his mouth. His arm slid around her as he worked his tongue over her skin, and when she was gasping he pulled away, giving her a grin and then sliding his boxers down and kicking them off.
She couldn't catch her breath when he was looking at her like that. Finally she closed her eyes and tried to collect herself, her fingers slipping across his shoulders and back and up into his hair. "Bed," she whispered, and opened her eyes to rake her gaze down his body. He was so wonderful. Strong and solid and just a little soft around the middle, his body left no doubt as to how much he wanted her.
He made a noise of agreement, then guided her backwards as he kissed her again. They both climbed onto the bed, and his lips were on her skin again, one hand sliding down to her hip and slipping under the edge of her panties. It was obviously meant to tease, and it worked. She arched into his touch, and his mouth found the nipple he'd neglected a moment ago.
Whimpering, Emily ran her hands down his back, letting him feel just a hint of nails as she trailed them back up. Everywhere his mouth had been tingled from the memory of his touch. God, this was too good. It almost scared her how good this felt. "More."
"Mmm-hmm," he said, his teeth scraping her skin again in response to her nails. He kissed a trail down her stomach, and then pushed just the edge of her panties over her hip down to kiss along the skin that had been covered.
"More," she whispered again, tugging lightly at his hair. She needed to be distracted from how cherished she suddenly felt. It was too much.
Dave made another noise that she couldn't quite read, but then he slid her panties all the way off and shifted between her legs. He kissed along her abdomen, one hand tracing patterns against her inner thigh, and then he pushed her legs open. It was gentle, but also forceful enough to give Emily the distraction she needed.
She groaned and spread them open for him, watching him with her lips parted. She stroked her fingers through his hair, unable to stop touching him. His fingers slid slowly inside of her, and she let out a little whimper. His fingers must have crooked after a moment, because a jolt of pleasure swept through her whole body.
She let out a little moan, and his lips started to trail from her knee down the inside of her thigh, his goatee scratching slightly and sending little shivers through her. She could feel his breath on her even before he got all the way down, and it was driving her desire higher and higher. When he finally tasted her, she arched and moaned, her fingers going tight in his hair.
He took his time, but there was nothing hesitant about his actions. His tongue flicked against her clit, then stroked down her folds, and Emily couldn't hold back the noise that rose in her throat. He hummed and flicked his tongue against her again. Emily tightened her fingers in his hair and he obediently stayed there. She tensed, then relaxed into the pleasure that washed through her.
He sucked lightly, and she could feel his goatee prickle her sensitive skin, and then he mouthed at her. God, he was good. She tried not to think about it maybe being this good because it was Dave, who knew her better than anyone, and when his tongue started to make little circles around her clit, she arched and moaned, all thought forgotten.
"God yes!" she gasped, trying to keep still but unable to prevent her hips from straining up against his mouth. Molten heat was flooding through her, and she was getting close already. She stroked her fingers through his hair, tracing the edge of his ear, then slipping down to dig her nails lightly into his shoulder.
It seemed to encourage him, and he sucked again, then started circling his tongue faster. When she came she cried out, her nails biting deeper into his skin, probably leaving marks. She slumped against the mattress, panting heavily, and he was grinning when he lifted up to look at her. "Condom," he murmured.
"Oh, God," Emily said, trying to remember if she'd bothered buying any when she thought things might go that way with Joe. "Look in the nightstand. I think there's a box?" Her eyes wanted to close, but she had to watch. She liked the way his muscles moved when he stretched to reach it.
She heard him opening a box, and when he moved back, he leaned in to kiss her, pressing a condom packet into the palm of her hand.
Emily hummed into the kiss, tempted to slip her arms around him but able to take a hint. She tore the packet open without looking, and slid her free hand between them to curl around his cock. She almost wanted to laugh at herself for how good it felt to be touching him, thick and heavy against her palm. "Gorgeous," she murmured. She kissed him again, then had to look to roll the condom onto him, taking her time just to tease him a little.
He let out a low groan of pleasure and desire, then leaned in to kiss her again when she was done. This time his kiss was slower, a little teasing, and a lot tender. It was wonderful and frightening at the same time.
She still had her hand on his cock, so she massaged lightly as their tongues stroked together. Her heart was pounding in her chest. "David," she breathed when the kiss ended. They were still so close her lips brushed his.
"Mmm?" he hummed, and she could see the corners of his lips curling up, just a little.
She just shook her head faintly. She didn't know what she wanted to say. She didn't know if she wanted to say anything...or if she even could say what she was feeling. She kissed him again instead.
He deepened it, one hand sliding over her skin to cup one of her breasts. He shifted a little out of her hand, and then the kiss grew a little more hungry as he slid inside of her.
Emily moaned, sliding her hand to curve against his butt. She ran the other up his back to bury in his hair, feeling desire rise up in her again. God, he felt good.
His hips did a little pivot that made her gasp, and then he started thrusting, his lips moving along her neck. His movements were slow but confident. She hadn't done this in a long time, and it was incredible that this was with Dave, someone she knew and trusted completely.
She didn't think she'd ever felt this intimately connected with someone before. She tried to watch him, but finally she had to close her eyes, afraid of what he might read in them if he looked up. She kept running her fingers through his hair, loving the contact even though she was afraid.
His lips trailed down her neck when she closed her eyes, and she offered him more of her neck as he slid his arm under her knee. "Emily," he whispered, and leaning back and lifting her leg up to his shoulder. When she cried out at the new sensation, the way he felt like he was moving deeper, he sped up and kept her body on fire.
Finally she abandoned thought and surrendered entirely to sensation. As renewed arousal licked through her veins, she dragged her nails over his skin and gasped when that earned a harder thrust. His breath was heavy against her skin, his fingers pressing into her skin desperately. It felt like he was as consumed by this as she was.
When he came, he panted something that might have been her name before lowering his head and kissing her, riding out the aftershocks of his release.
Emily cupped his head in her hands, deepening the kiss and tightening her muscles around him to draw out his pleasure. It was incredible how good this felt. Emily slid her arms around him, enjoying the warm press of his skin against hers.
When his body relaxed, he melted against her and pressed his face to the underside of her jaw. "Oh God, Emily," he panted, and pressed a few lazy kisses to her neck before sliding off to rest next to her.
She made a pleased noise and shifted to press against his side. "Glad you live up to the legend," she murmured breathlessly, and smiled.
He gave a low chuckle that was somehow sexy. Maybe it was how utterly relaxed it sounded. "Mmm." He pulled her close to kiss her again. "Pleasure was all mine, babe," he murmured once they broke apart, a grin spreading across his face.
"I don't know about that," she said, stroking a hand over his chest. "Mmm, feel so good." She felt happy and just a little sore, and incredibly relaxed. It was wonderful.
Dave continued smiling, but it softened into something more affectionate as he lifted a hand and stroked her hair. "You're gorgeous."
A shiver of pleasure went through her and she stretched to kiss his jaw. "Thank you, Dave," she whispered. She sighed and snuggled down against him. Her eyelids were beginning to get heavy.
"Thank you," Dave murmured. "Been wanting to do that for a while."
"Really?" She didn't look up at him. Her gut reaction surprised her, but she found herself feeling a mixture of gladness and apprehension. She stroked her fingers gently across his shoulder, following a smooth line of pale scar tissue.
"Really," he said. "You're beautiful and my best friend."
Oh, God, he was her best friend. Emily felt herself start to tense and forced herself to relax instead. "You're so sweet," she murmured. What was she doing sleeping with her best friend? It had been wonderful, but what if things got weird now? She made a sleepy noise and tried to get back the heavy, sated feeling that she'd had only moments before.
Dave chuckled easily. "You say that now..."
"It's easier to be nice post-orgasm," Emily murmured. She yawned and snuggled a little closer, hoping he would think she was about to drop off. Maybe he'd realize it was okay to go to sleep himself. She needed to be able to think, and she couldn't do that if he stayed awake after this.
"Exactly my point," Dave said. He drew a long breath, and she felt him melt against her.
As she forced her breathing slower and deeper, Emily couldn't help relishing how good this felt. The warmth of Dave's body against hers and how utterly relaxed he was made her want to stop thinking altogether and enjoy this. But their friendship was more important than this...whatever it was.
***
Emily stared through the dim predawn light at the shadows cast across her ceiling. Dave was asleep next to her, but she'd been awake for at least an hour at this point. She was pleasantly sore in places she hadn't been sore for years, but her heart also felt like it was going to pound its way out of her chest, and she was having a hard time breathing. What the hell had she been thinking? She shouldn't have slept with Dave. He was her best friend. He was the one guy she could always count on to understand...or if he didn't, at least to tolerate. And she'd gone and ruined that by sleeping with him.
She wondered what was going to happen when he woke up. Could they just get over this? Could she convince him it would be better if they didn't attempt to be a couple? God, she thought miserably. I messed up so badly.
It felt like she'd been there years, her mind running in circles, when she heard Dave draw the deep breath of someone waking up, which was followed by a much softer yawn. He didn't move for a moment, and when he did, he moved very carefully, getting out of bed and heading in the direction of the bathroom. God, what was she going to do?
When she heard the toilet flush, she debated closing her eyes and pretending to be asleep, but decided that would just be putting off what she knew was going to be awkward. Better to get it over with.
When he walked in, he looked so adorably sleepy that it made her chest feel like it was being squeezed. He climbed back into bed without having noticed she was awake, apparently, but he rolled toward her and slid his hand over her waist... which was when it registered with him that her eyes were open. "Morning," he said, his voice scratchy. "Considering how cheerful you normally are before coffee, I'm surprised you're awake." He rubbed a hand over his eyes, and she was grateful that between that, his sleepiness, and the low light in the room, he hadn't noticed how tight her expression was.
"I couldn't sleep," she said. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She was completely aware of how good Dave's arms felt around her. But the sinking in her stomach wouldn't leave her alone. She shouldn't have let this happen. She shouldn't have invited this. All because Jacob Fucking Ashwood is getting married, she thought ruefully.
"Mmm," Dave hummed. "Stop thinking about this." He kissed her shoulder.
Emily sighed and pressed her lips together. She didn't want to hurt Dave, but she also couldn't imagine any way for this to turn out properly. Finally she rolled over on her side, facing away from him. "Go back to sleep," she said.
"You too," he murmured, snuggling up behind her.
She kept her eyes closed and tried to relax into this feeling. His arms were strong and protective. He seemed so happy. She kept pushing her anxiety down until finally she could feel her breathing slowing. She still felt weird, though. Finally she gave in and rolled out of his arms to get out of bed. "I need some coffee," she murmured, in case he were still awake. Considering his reply was a muffled "Mmph," she doubted that he was.
She wasn't sure how long she sat in her kitchen, sipping her coffee and knowing it would only make her more tense, before she heard her phone ring. She sighed and got up to head back to the bedroom, wrapping her robe around her tightly. When she got there, Dave was mumbling something on his phone too. They had a case. She grabbed her phone and left the room before answering it, not wanting whoever was calling to hear Dave in the background.
She promised JJ she'd be in ASAP and hurried back into the bedroom to grab some clothes. "There are towels in the guest bath," she told Dave, who was rubbing a hand over his face. "Unless you need to head home first to grab your ready bag."
He sucked in a deep breath and sat up. "Yeah, I should do that." He got up, and she turned her gaze away, occupying herself with getting her things together while he got into his clothes. She didn't hear him walk up behind her when he was done, and he turned her around and leaned in for a kiss. She almost pulled away, then caught herself and let him kiss her. They didn't have time to deal with this now. It would wait until after the case.
"See you on the jet," she murmured.
He smiled at her, but after a moment, he blinked and his smile faded. He must have seen something in her expression. "See you on the jet," he agreed, then gently kissed her cheek before pulling away and heading toward the door.
Part Three
Authors:
innerslytherin and severity_softlyPairing: Rossi/Prentiss
Rating: NC-17
WC: 22,100
Summary: When Dave set Emily up with his friend, he didn't think they would hit it off quite so well. Not that it's a problem or anything. Really. Dave wants Emily to be happy. Just...not with someone else.
Notes: This fic is our Rossi/Prentiss version of When Harry Met Sally.
Part One
Emily liked Joe Martelli a lot. He was a nice guy without being boring, and he had a great sense of humor. And even better, he understood her friendship with Dave. She wouldn't have been able to date a guy who was jealous of Dave or didn't like him. Joe didn't have a problem with her job and wasn't intimidated by her. His marriage had fallen apart because of the job, so he understood the demands and strains it could put on a relationship.
None of that explained why she'd been taking their relationship so slowly and hadn't even thought about introducing him to her mother. She liked him a lot. She was attracted to him, and she certainly enjoyed spending time with him.
But she hadn't slept with him, and even someone as backwards at dating as she was knew that generally speaking they probably should have at least gotten to the "keeping a toothbrush at each others' house" stage by now.
They were having lunch before he had to fly out to a conference in Vegas when she had an idea. Her friend Angie was a lawyer in the city, working for a non-profit that provided legal representation for underprivileged women. They'd gone to college together, and Angie and Dave might hit it off.
"Joe," Emily said thoughtfully, "what would you think about a double date?"
"Mm?" he hummed, looking up from his sandwich. "With who?" He didn't sound disinterested at all.
She frowned. "Dave. I have this friend, Angie Hollister, that I think he might like. She's always wanted to meet him--not because he's Rossi, you know, but because he's my friend. And he seems..." She sighed. "I don't know, I can't put my finger on it. But I want him to be happy."
Joe nodded slowly. "I don't see him as often as you do, but I've noticed too. Sure, a double date is fine with me. Last time we went on one it worked out well," he said, smiling.
"Thanks," she said, beaming at him. "I'm hoping it works out as well for him as it has for us." She slid her hand across the table and curled her fingers around his. God, she really liked him. She was lucky. Something must be wrong with her that she hadn't latched onto him more tightly.
"Yeah," Joe agree, nodding. "What did you have in mind?"
"You get back on Friday, right?" When he nodded, she said, "Maybe Saturday the four of us could have dinner. Angie and I have been talking about getting together, and I'm sure I could talk her into a double date. Dave might be the real challenge. Can I get you to try to set that part up?" She gave him a look she'd learned from watching Morgan sweet-talk people into things, and was relieved when he laughed and agreed.
She drove him to the airport and held on to him longer than she usually would have. "You're a good man, Joe Martelli," she whispered when she kissed him goodbye. "Text me and let me know you got there."
***
The week passed fairly uneventfully. They worked a child abduction case in Charleston, but it was wrapped up quickly when they questioned the boy's grandmother and realized she'd been protecting her daughter. With the child safely restored to his father, the team was able to fly home in time for their double date.
Dave wasn't really all that enthused. He hadn't really had to see Joe and Emily together since he'd stupidly set them up, and he liked it that way. Now they were taking him on a double date with one of Emily's friends. He didn't really want a date. He didn't really care about Emily's friend, other than that if he had to go on a date he didn't want, he hoped she was a redhead.
At least Emily had agreed to let him pick the restaurant. She'd probably gotten tired of him grumping about the whole thing. She'd assured him several times that Angie wanted to meet him because he was Emily's friend, not because he was famous or rich. That didn't really make it any better.
Of course, Emily had insisted he pick Angie up, and Dave thought blaming car trouble would be too suspicious, so he agreed. He dressed nicely, not that he ever really didn't. He didn't even wear a tie for work, though, so he certainly wasn't wear a tie for this. When he got there, he took in the house, nice but not flashy, then he sighed and went up to the door to knock.
"Coming!" called a voice, and he heard high heels approaching. There was a pause where she obviously checked the peephole, then the door opened. "David Rossi. I have heard so much about you."
She wasn't a redhead. Damn it. She was pretty. She had chin-length brown hair and light olive skin, and a very nice smile. She was wearing a dress and dark-framed glasses. "Could you come in for just a minute? I promise I'm almost ready." She held out a hand to shake.
"Sure," he said, shaking her hand and stepping inside. He looked around. Her house was nicely decorated, chic, it looked like a lawyer's house. She looked like a lawyer. Aaron was the only lawyer Dave had ever liked.
"C'mere, Sweetpea!" she called. "Come on, it's time for Mommy to go!" A moment later he heard a meow and the biggest orange cat he'd ever seen came running into the room. Angie grinned at him. "He knows he gets treats when I leave," she explained. She spilled a half dozen cat treats on the floor, then went over to the counter, which was scattered with a briefcase, papers, mail, and other items. She grabbed a BlackBerry and a large purse, then got her house keys. "Shoot, hang on a sec," she said, and dropped them all on the counter again before running out of the room. When she came back she carried a cloud of scent with her and was struggling to fasten a necklace.
"Help me out?" she asked, and turned to present the back of her neck to him, holding up both ends of the necklace.
Dave frowned at the back of her head, pressing his lips together. He counters were cluttered and she made a mess of her floor and now she was wanting him to do stuff you shouldn't ask of a man you just met. He held in a sigh and did it anyway, ignoring the alcohol smell of her perfume.
It was very possible that he had a bad attitude about this, but he really didn't care. He'd be a gentleman to her anyway.
"Thanks," she said, giving him a big smile. "Okay, I'm all set. Are Em and her boyfriend meeting us at the restaurant?"
"Yeah," Dave said, managing a smile. It didn't feel right, but she wasn't a profiler, and by the time they got to the restaurant, he could make it feel right. He held her door for her, then waited until she locked it behind them. "How long have you know Emily?"
"Oh, we met at college," she said. "We were in a study group together." She followed him to the car and thanked him when he got the door for her, which surprised him. He'd half expected to be snapped at that she could open her own door. When he got in the driver's seat, she went on. "Actually we got into an argument about the role of diplomacy in post World War II American policy." She grinned. "I didn't find out until after Em handed my ass to me that her mother was an Ambassador."
Dave chuckled, but his heart wasn't in it. "Well, thankfully I haven't yet been on the receiving end of an argument with her, though she reminds me regularly that I'm an annoying snob."
Angie snorted. "Oh God, she's so backwards. You know she thinks you hung the moon, right? I have to confess, I didn't have a clue who you were until she started going on and on about some friend from work, and hanging out with you more than she did me--you are so in trouble for that, by the way--and then..." She trailed off, and when she spoke again her voice wasn't as excited, but was somehow more sincere. "And then you helped her out so much when that friend of hers was murdered." Angie gave him another smile. "I sort of feel like I already know you."
Dave smiled when Angie mentioned he'd "hung the moon". It sent a little jolt of hope through him, which he tried to quickly squash. Emily was dating Joe. His smile faded when Angie finished, though, thinking of how hard that case had been on Emily and what she'd told him. He nodded. "She's my best friend," he said simply.
Angie glanced over at him, her expression warm. "I'm glad. I think you're good for her." Then she made a face. "Of course, this does mean if you don't like me, I'll probably never get invited to do anything with her again."
Dave laughed, but felt a little weird at the expectation in that statement, even if she was kidding. "Of course not. Don't I look like a guy that needs to be coddled when things don't go well?"
She laughed. "Somehow I think you can handle yourself." She paused, then touched his arm briefly. "Just so you know, my friendship with Emily is important to me. I'm really glad to meet you, but I hope you aren't feeling pressured or anything over all this."
"I'm not," he said. Trust me, I'm not. Emily knew damn well he didn't want to do this, and he wasn't going to play ball just for her. "But thank you for saying that."
Angie seemed to relax a little once they'd gotten that out of the way. They made small talk about hobbies and sports teams until they arrived at the restaurant. When they got inside, Emily was waiting for them. Emily and Angie hugged, then Angie excused herself to run to the restroom.
"Joe's running a little late," Emily told Dave, "but our table won't be ready for another few minutes anyway." She was watching him closely. "Do you like Angie?"
Dave shrugged. "She's nice."
She raised her eyebrows. "That's specific." She nudged him. "She's pretty, right?"
"Yeah," Dave said. He thought about complaining that she wasn't a redhead and looked like a lawyer, but decided that wasn't a good idea.
Emily sighed, then looked up at him. "Just give her a chance. She's not just a typical lawyer, so you'd better not be holding that against her."
Dave snorted and rolled his eyes. "I'm not," he insisted.
She looked at him for another minute, then shook her head and grinned at him. "Yeah, you probably are. But at least she'll have to stop complaining that I've never introduced her to the guy I talk so much about." Her expression was warm.
"If I didn't know better, I would be starting to think you had a thing for older, annoying snobs," he teased. God, he should not flirt with Emily.
Her grin widened. "Annoying snobs? I can't imagine who you're talking about," she said lightly, though her cheeks looked a little pink.
"Really. I thought I remembered someone you were saying that to not too long ago," Dave said, grinning at her warmly; the color in her cheeks did something funny to him.
She laughed. "I guess I must sort of have a thing for older, annoying snobs, if I let you keep hanging around," she teased.
"Em! Dave! Sorry I'm late." Joe came in and kissed Emily's cheek. Dave couldn't help thinking her smile dimmed just a little when she looked at Joe, that maybe Dave was still special to her in a way that Joe wasn't.
Dave gave Joe a light slap on the shoulder in greeting. "Car trouble again? I'll start to thing that's an excuse to see less of me if that becomes regular."
Joe laughed and sidled up next to Emily, putting an arm around her waist. "No. Mom called on the land line. I couldn't get off the phone."
Angie reappeared then, smiling at them with freshly applied lipstick. Emily made the introductions, and Joe had to take his arm from around her waist to shake the hand Angie held out. The hostess let them know their table was ready, and soon they were all getting settled in with drinks ordered.
Emily got the conversation going, handing out little morsels of information about what everyone did for a living and what hobbies everyone had. Joe asked Angie if she was involved with some piece of gun control legislation that was being discussed, and she responded with far more detail than either Dave or Emily really needed. As the conversation continued, Dave could almost see Emily's eyes glazing over a bit, but Joe and Angie were, almost imperceptibly, scooting around closer to each other as they talked.
Dave caught the end of some joke Joe made while he was watching Emily, and Angie laughed, then reached over and put her hand on Joe's forearm briefly. Huh. Well, it was pretty shitty that Angie was flirting with Joe right in front of Emily. It occurred to him that he should be bothered because Angie was supposed to be his date, but he didn't really give a shit about that. She could make out with their waiter for all he cared.
Glancing over at Emily, he caught a fleeting expression of regret on her face, but she lifted her glass to her mouth and then the expression was gone. When she looked over at him a moment later, she rolled her eyes and gave him a faint smile instead.
He snorted and reached over to touch her forearm briefly, giving her a lopsided, teasing smile.
Emily scooted closer to him. "I guess we could retaliate by talking about the last crime scene we worked," she murmured, her smile strengthening.
Dave chuckled. "That's appetizing."
She smirked. "So what are you doing for the rest of the weekend?" she asked. Apparently she'd decided to ignore Joe and Angie's conversation.
He shrugged. "Didn't really have plans." Are you going out with lover boy? he wanted to ask, but held it in. To his credit, Joe looked somehow uncomfortable and interested at the same time.
"You know, you're really lucky I drag you out places," she told him. "You wouldn't have any social life at all if it weren't for me."
"I work hard. I'm not as young as you are," he said, but he was grinning.
She snorted and shook her head. "You're such a faker." She nudged his arm just as the waiter came back with their food. The conversation lagged for a bit while they ate, but eventually Angie seemed to remember she was supposed to be Dave's date and turned her attention back to him for a while. Emily seemed quieter than usual, but Dave wasn't sure how to read her expression as Angie's fingers brushed against his.
Joe excused himself to the restroom and after a moment Emily said she was going to go too. Angie shifted closer to Dave. "God, I've been monopolizing the conversation, haven't I?" she said, giving him an embarrassed look.
"Completely," Dave said, but he smiled in a good-natured way.
She sighed. "I'd never met Joe either. He's a really great guy, isn't he? I've never seen Emily smile as much as she is tonight." She propped her chin on her hand and smiled at Dave. "You're really protective of her."
That surprised Dave. He was, but he wasn't sure what brought that up. "I am?"
Angie smirked faintly. "You've been glaring at Joe, and I'm pretty sure it's because he was talking to me instead of Emily. I'm sorry about that. I tend to get a little enthusiastic when people are actually interested in my work. Most people think lawyers are boring." She looked amused.
"Or a hard ass," Dave agreed. "My other best friend is like that."
Angie laughed. "He must be a prosecutor."
Dave smiled. "Yeah, he is. Well, he used to be. Great guy, but it's nearly impossible to make him smile. If you're not as charming as I am," he joked.
"God. You don't think much of yourself, do you?" she replied, shaking her head. She glanced up as Joe came back to the table. Emily was a couple of steps behind him.
"Sorry, we got talking on our way back," Emily said, settling back into her chair. She smiled at Dave, then glanced at Angie, her smile fading a little. "Anyone feel like having dessert?"
"I'm pretty full," Dave said. He had finished off his plate, but truthfully he could have gone for something chocolate. He just didn't want Emily sitting here watching Joe and Angie together.
"I think I need a piece of apple pie a la mode," Joe said. "You want to split it, Em?"
"Mm, nope, I want chocolate." She smiled at him and glanced over at Angie, who shook her head.
When their dessert arrived, though, Emily only ate about half of it before she sighed and gave up. Finally she pushed it over in front of Dave. "Here, you finish it," she ordered.
"I said I was full," Dave protested, but he was picking up his spoon as he said it.
"And he never says anything he doesn't mean," Joe said, gesturing at where Dave was already digging. Dave gave him a weak glare and flipped him off.
Emily grinned at Joe. "Yeah, but he always ends up indulging me," she said. "He's sweet that way."
Dave turned his glare on Emily, but didn't turn the gesture on her. He was too busy chewing a bite to reply, and Joe was laughing now.
"And classy," he teased.
Yeah, and it's real classy to be flirting with my "date" in front of Emily, is it?
"Of course," Emily agreed, looping a hand through Dave's arm. "It's his class that first made me like him." She lifted her head to grin at Dave, and he wasn't sure if he was just imagining that her grin was warmer than it should be.
Angie cleared her throat and Emily sat back, glancing at her. "You know, I'm still sort of jet-lagged or something from the case," Emily said after a moment. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'd really kind of like to head home soon."
"Yeah," Dave agreed, and looked up in time to see Joe shoot a glance at Angie, before looking at Dave.
"Oh, well, we should do this again," Joe said regretfully.
Fat chance.
Emily smiled faintly and sipped her wine. "This has been fun," she agreed, looking from Angie to Joe. She reached a hand over to Joe, who took it automatically. "I just knew you guys would all get along," she added.
Dave forced himself to keep smiling as Joe took Emily's hand, then he gave a dramatic sigh and said, "I'm beat, guys."
Emily nodded. "It really was a long couple of days," she told the others. "Look, if you guys wanted to stay, Dave could probably drop me off..." She glanced at Joe.
Joe looked at Angie, who shrugged, then back at Emily. "I really don't mind taking you home if you want to go."
"I know you don't mind, but it's still early. I feel bad." Emily looked over at Dave. "You wouldn't mind taking me home, would you?"
Dave shook his head. "No," he said, looking at Angie when he saw Joe's hand tighten on Emily's.
Angie shrugged again. "To be honest, I could go for another drink," she told Dave, then looked at Emily. "You sure you don't mind? It seems weird for me to hang out with your boyfriend while you go home."
Emily laughed faintly. "Come on, we're all adults here. I trust both of you, and after the number of times we made fun of Julie's 'Girlfriend Code of Honor' bullshit at Yale--"
Angie started laughing too, and held out a hand. "Okay, I pinky-swear I won't get drunk and make out with Joe," she said.
Dave snorted as Emily smiled and wrapped her finger with Angie's, then stood. Dave gave them a nod and stood as well, holding a hand out to shake Angie's. It was an obvious 'I'm really not that into you' message. He hoped she understood Unspoken Man Language. "It was nice to meet you," he said.
Her eyebrows went up briefly, but she smiled and stood to shake Dave's hand. "You too. Especially after hearing so much about you." She went around the table to hug Emily. "Call me. We haven't done a dumb action flick marathon in a while."
"We come off rotation in a couple of weeks, and I'll definitely be ready for junk food and action flicks," Emily said. She kissed Joe on the cheek and then turned to lead the way out of the restaurant.
Dave nodded his goodbyes, and gave Joe a friendly slap on the back as he walked out. It was probably a little harder than absolutely necessary, but Joe didn't really respond to that, thankfully.
Dave and Emily were quiet as they went outside and headed for Dave's car. He put his hand on her back and guided her in front of him as they passed through a narrow part of the guard rail that surrounded the parking lot. He knew he shouldn't. He shouldn't touch her knowing he wanted her just because he needed to punch Joe in the face.
When they got in the car, he turned the stereo on quietly and waited for her to buckle her seat belt before pulling out. They drove for a few minutes without saying anything, when Dave sighed. "You were never really supposed to fall for Joe anyway," he said casually.
She glanced over at him, obviously surprised. "What?"
He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "I didn't invite him on the double date... nevermind."
She frowned and turned in her seat to face him. "I didn't 'fall for' him," she said. "I like him. He's handsome and kind. But you can't just say that sort of thing and expect to get away with a 'nevermind'. So what? You didn't invite him in the double date...what?"
"So you would fall for him," Dave said, sighing. He shouldn't have opened his mouth.
She tilted her head, watching him. "Why did you invite him, then? What was I supposed to do?"
"Rescue me from my ex-wife," Dave said. He was starting to get frustrated now.
"I thought I did that." She was smiling faintly. After a moment she reached out and rested a hand on his arm. "Dave..." She sighed. "Look, I like Joe. Like I said, he's good-looking, he's interesting, he understands how important you are to me..." She trailed off and shook her head. "We haven't even slept together. It...would feel sort of like leading him on. There's absolutely nothing wrong with him, except..." She shrugged.
Dave felt a funny combination of hope and relief wash through him at that, but he just pressed his lips together and looked ahead. "Good. I like the guy. I didn't want to have to break his nose."
She was silent for so long that he glanced over at her. Her lips parted, she was staring at the dashboard with an expression of blank surprise on her face. She must have felt his gaze on her, because after a moment she shook herself and looked at him. "What? Why?"
Then he wondered if she hadn't noticed the flirting. He wasn't really sure he wanted to break that to her, but she had to have seen it. "For... the way he and Angie were..." He made a vague gesture.
"Oh." She shrugged. "It was obvious you didn't like her. Maybe once I let him know he's under no obligations to me, and assure her that no groveling is really necessary, the two of them can be happy together." She huffed a laugh and then seemed to realize she still had her hand on his arm. Folding her hands together in her lap, she sighed. "They both deserve happiness. I think Angie's had almost as bad dating luck as I have, and Joe..." She made a vague gesture. "The divorce was hard on him. I think I was safe."
Dave frowned, a little confused, and glanced at her. "You're not upset your boyfriend just flirted with my date all night?"
"Not really." Emily gave him a regretful smile. "And what does that really say about whatever Joe and I have between us?"
Dave wasn't really sure why that didn't make him feel much better. It should. "Not much," he admitted.
She shook her head. "It was nice to have him show interest in me. It made me feel good." She smiled. "But as nice a guy as Joe is...I really enjoy spending time with you more than I ever have with him." She darted a glance at him, but when he looked back at her, she was gazing at the dashboard again.
A slow smile spread across Dave's lips. "You say that like I'm normally so aloof."
She snorted. "You know what I mean." She looked over at him with a wry smile. "You and I don't exactly have a flowers and chocolates kind of relationship, so I had to go looking for that somewhere else." She nudged him.
A little jolt went through him when she said that, and he decided in a half-second to go with his first impulse. Not that that was unusual. "Do you want one?"
"Well, of course, that's why..." She trailed off and stared at him. "Do you mean...us?" she whispered finally.
Dave nodded. "Yeah, why not?"
She blinked. "Just that simple? I didn't have any idea you might want that."
Dave felt himself grin. "I didn't either, right up until you started dating Joe and were suddenly unavailable. C'mon, men don't have female friends this close that they haven't thought about it with."
"Oh, right, okay, so I was just greener grass," she muttered. She shifted in her seat and folded her arms. "Don't worry, I won't be 'unavailable' any more."
"What do you mean 'greener grass'?" Dave asked, forcing his voice to remain calm, though his confusion was evident. "I just..." I was just trying to say I want you, damn it.
"You know, the greener grass on the other side of the fence. Only wanting me because you suddenly couldn't have me." She gestured. "Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head."
Dave opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. Shit. The moment was gone. He drew a deep breath and said, "Ah, well, if you ever want a go..." If she hadn't picked up on what he meant, she probably wasn't interested. Of course, he realized a second late that this might not have been the best response, though. He hoped he'd sounded joking.
"Gee, yeah, I'll be sure to let you know," she said sarcastically. She turned her head to look out the side window.
Dave shook his head at himself and decided the best way to respond to that was to shut his mouth. The rest of the drive to her house was silent.
***
Emily sighed and frowned down at the report she was trying to file. They'd all picked up a lot more paperwork since Haley was killed. It had been Morgan's idea, since he'd had a taste of what the job required, and they all wanted to find a way to help out. She didn't mind doing the reports, but paperwork was harder when she was distracted, and today she was plenty distracted.
She and Joe had split amicably six weeks earlier and she'd told him and Angie both that she wanted them to be happy together. She meant it, too. She liked them both a lot, and it was easy to see they had a blazing chemistry that Joe and Emily never had. Joe and Angie didn't bother her. What bothered her was the way she'd been thinking about Dave ever since.
She'd realized as he was driving her home that the reason she and Joe didn't work was that Joe wasn't Dave. Dave was everything she wanted in a partner, and it had been staring her in the face all this time. And she'd had a glorious and terrifying thirty seconds when she thought he was actually proposing they get together...then he'd made it obvious that it was a flippant remark. Ever since, she'd been stewing over the whole thing and trying to push the feelings away, since he clearly didn't really feel the way she did.
Finally she pushed the paperwork all into a desk drawer and shut down her computer. It was past six and she was just going to swing by a carry-out place and head home.
That was the plan, anyway. She was only halfway home when her cell phone rang. She fished it out and answered without looking, and was greeted by the sound of her mother's voice. The rest of the way home, Emily had to listen to updates on people she could barely keep straight and didn't really care about...right up until the moment her mother said, "Oh, and we got an invitation to Senator Ashwood's wedding. Jacob Ashwood, you know? Didn't you two date when you were in high school?"
A shock went through Emily. Jacob Ashwood had been her first serious love. "College, mother," she managed, hoping her voice sounded normal.
"College. Mmm, well, he sent your invitation here as well. I forwarded it to you, so it should be arriving any day."
Emily got out of her car and stopped at the mailbox, where sure enough she had an envelope addressed in her mother's bold hand. God. "Mother, I have to go. I'm going into a store," she lied. They said quick goodbyes and she tore open the envelope. "God," she whispered, staring at the names in gorgeous script on creamy vellum.
She had adored Jacob, but she'd been a woman with a plan, and she wasn't going to take the backseat to anyone's career in politics. She'd broken it off their junior year and they hadn't spoken in years, not until they met at a function in Washington shortly after her transfer to Quantico. It had been a friendly meeting and she'd been reminded of everything she'd given up. She hadn't spent any time dwelling over it at the time, but it hurt to see his wedding invitation all the same.
Half a pint of ice cream and two glasses of wine later, it seemed like a brilliant idea to call Dave for comfort. She'd always been able to go to him before when she was unhappy, and even if they didn't have the flowers and chocolates kind of relationship, she knew she could count on him. She hit her speed dial and laid her head down on the kitchen table, waiting for him to pick up.
As soon as she said hello, Dave knew something was wrong. She could hear the concern in his voice when he asked if she was okay.
"Are you busy?" she asked. The second glass might have been a bad idea, since she'd been fighting tears for the past ten minutes.
"Not if you need me. Emily, has something happened?"
"He's getting married," Emily blurted. The tears spilled over and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I know we were young and I thought it was the right idea at the time, but now he's getting married and I don't have a boyfriend or even a damn houseplant I can keep alive, and he's getting married!"
There was a silence at the other end of the line, and Emily hiccuped a few sobs. Finally Dave said, "Who the hell are you talking about, Em?" He still sounded concerned, but utterly confused now too.
"Senator Ashwood," she whimpered. "Can you come over? I have ice cream and wine."
"Yeah," Dave said. "I'll see you in a minute."
She probably shouldn't have poured herself another glass of wine, but that was what she did as soon as she hung up. She poured Dave a glass too, then sat down at the kitchen table again and stared at the pictures she'd pulled out from college. She and Jacob had been a good-looking couple, the couple everyone in their group of friends took for granted from the moment they met their freshman year until they split up towards the end of their junior year. Emily had hated sororities and refused to join one, because of her mother, but she'd gone to all Jacob's fraternity formals, and there were pictures of them at games and on spring break.
She was grateful when the pounding on her door interrupted her brooding. Dave would make her feel better. He always made her feel better.
She knew she looked like hell when she answered the door, but when Dave opened his mouth to speak, took a look at her, then hugged her, she knew she looked worse than she suspected. "Mind telling me who Senator Ashwood is?" he said, holding her tight.
She buried her face against his chest. "He was my boyfriend at Yale. For two and a half years it was always Jacobandemily, Emilyandjacob. But he wanted to get into politics and I fucking hate politics so I broke up with him. And I don't even really care that he's marrying this Elisa Chesterton. But if he can find someone, why can't I?" The last word drew out into a little wail and she clutched at Dave's shirt.
"Shh," Dave whispered, and she felt him shift. A moment later at the sound of the door closing, she realized he'd kicked it shut so they had privacy but he didn't have to let her go. It made her sob harder. God, he was such a great guy.
"Don't beat yourself up. For all you know, Elisa Chesterton could be a raving bitch, and you have nothing to be jealous of."
"At least he won't be alone ever again," Emily mumbled, then she let out another sob. "He's a senator, he won't get divorced. He'll pick out a nice photogenic dog and he and his wife will have lots of fat, gorgeous babies, and she's probably younger than him. I don't get to have babies. I don't even have a dog. And I'm going to be forty!"
Dave pulled gently back, his hands squeezing her shoulders like he needed the support. When he met her eyes, his own were concerned. "Have you been drinking?"
"I told you I had wine." She glared at him. "And ice cream. I poured you a glass."
"You poured me a glass of ice cream?" he said, lifting his brows.
She scrunched her nose and thumped his chest gently. "Shut up, you know what I meant. Dave, I want fat, gorgeous babies and a dog! Why can't I get those things?"
"You will," Dave said, and put his arm around her and guided her to the couch. "And if you don't, it's not the end of the world."
"Oh shut up, it's not the same for men," she said, glaring blearily at him. "You don't have this big stupid biological time bomb inside you just waiting to make you feel unfulfilled and miserable if you don't have kids."
"Yeah, but you have one, and I'm starting to get a little afraid of it." Dave sat her down and went to get the wine. He joined her on the couch. "How long do I have before I have to call in ATF?"
It made her laugh through her tears. She snuggled up against him. "Sometimes I really can't stand you," she muttered, which was true, actually. She was pissed off at him for not being serious about them getting together, and she was pissed off at him for being charming and funny and wonderful, and she was really pissed off at him for being so sweet right now. And of course she loved him for all of that. God, she was a mess.
"I know," Dave said. "Doesn't bother me any," he added, and his voice was gentle rather than joking. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, turning his head to kiss the top of hers.
"Shows what you know." She sighed and rested her hand against his chest, curling her fingers in his shirt. "I love you even when I can't stand you, you know," she whispered. "You always make me feel like...well, at least it's okay to be crazy."
"I'm not sure what that says about me," Dave replied, his hand lifting to stroke her hair.
She gave another watery laugh and turned her head until his neck was warm against her forehead, his beard catching a little in her hair. "Maybe you're a sucker for lost causes?" she offered.
"Maybe," Dave said. "Maybe it just makes me look good to hang out with someone crazier than me."
She gave a little gasp and poked him. "You're such a bastard."
His hand stroked through her hair. "You're beautiful and smart and deserve to be happy. Senator what's-his-name should have tried harder to keep you."
"Mm, maybe you're not such a bastard. Remind me again why you don't bring me chocolates and roses?" She sniffled and wished suddenly that she hadn't said anything. He didn't need to know how much that comment had stuck with her.
Dave stilled for a moment, and Emily was about to start panicking when he finally said, "Because I was under the impression you didn't want them from me."
The words sent a flash of heat through her, and she lifted her head to stare at him. The way they were sitting, their faces were close. Very close. She caught her breath, then before she could think better of it, she leaned in and kissed him. She felt him suck in a slow breath, then he kissed her back. His lips parted against hers, his tongue brushing her lower lip, but then he pulled back just enough to whisper, "You're upset."
"Don't care," she mumbled, slipping her fingers up into his hair. "Kiss me."
He let out a little noise she recognized as part apprehension, but mostly desire, and he kissed her again. It sent a pleasant burn through her entire body, and she opened her mouth to him, their tongues sliding together. His hand slid down her side, raising goosebumps, and then his fingers curled around her hip and tugged, obviously wanting her in his lap.
She let out a quiet moan and shifted obediently without breaking the kiss. God, this felt good. Maybe she'd just misunderstood him before; he certainly seemed to want this as much as she did. She kissed him hungrily, tangling her fingers in his hair.
He groaned, his hands sliding over her ass and pulling her tighter against him. "Emily," he murmured, lifting a hand to cup her cheek.
"I do want them from you," she whispered, and kissed him again. She stroked one hand down to rest against his chest, then started working at the top button of his shirt.
"Okay," he breathed, shifting a little when she got lower down his body. When the buttons were open she pushed it off his shoulders and he struggled a little to get out of it in their positions. Once he tossed it to the side of the couch, she stroked her hand down his bare chest, but was interrupted by him pushing her shirt up and over her head. "You're so beautiful," he said, pulling her close to suck at her neck.
She shivered and let out a quiet sigh. This was why she hadn't been able to sleep with Joe. This felt so much better than anything she could have imagined. "So are you," she murmured. She scratched her nails lightly up his skin, more to tickle than anything.
He sucked in a breath and slid his hands up her back, pressing his fingers into her skin in a way that loosened her muscles. Then she felt his teeth against her skin, and her nails scratched harder as she moaned, arching under his touch. His hands moved back down, then slid into the back of her pants and squeezed. "Bedroom."
"Yes," she gasped. She kissed him hard, then slid back off his lap to her feet. She curled her fingers around his and tugged him up with her. They kept touching as she led him back to her bedroom.
When they reached it, he slid his arms around her from behind. The feel of his chest against her back sent shivers through her, and then his hands slid up to cup her breasts, squeezing gently. He let out a low groan and kissed the side of her neck. One of his hands slipped back to unfasten the bra, and he tossed it off, his hands moving back to her breasts as soon as he had.
Emily let out a whimpery breath and tilted her head to let his lips trail down her neck. She lifted one hand to slide her fingers into his hair. He felt so strong against her. She whispered his name.
He made a noise that sounded like a combination of acknowledgment and desire. A hand slipped down on her stomach, tracing a little pattern that made her shiver. He chuckled as that hand moved lower to fumble at the button of her pants.
She gasped and pressed closer so her butt was snug against his groin. She could feel his arousal against her, and it sent a jolt of lust through her. He pushed at her pants once they were open, and murmured, "Off. Want to see you." He bit her skin gently, and she made a small strangled noise before complying and helping him get them off.
Once she'd kicked them off, he took one of her hands and turned her, guiding her a couple feet away from her while still holding her hand. His eyes practically devoured her body. "God, you're beautiful," he whispered.
She could feel herself flushing, but even she wasn't sure whether it was embarrassment or arousal that sent the heat through her. The look on his face was incredible, and even more incredible was the fact that it was for her. "This isn't fair," she said. "I want to see you too."
He chuckled and let go of her hand to unbutton his jeans. His eyes didn't leave her face as he pushed them off until he leaned in, bending down to suck her nipple into his mouth. His arm slid around her as he worked his tongue over her skin, and when she was gasping he pulled away, giving her a grin and then sliding his boxers down and kicking them off.
She couldn't catch her breath when he was looking at her like that. Finally she closed her eyes and tried to collect herself, her fingers slipping across his shoulders and back and up into his hair. "Bed," she whispered, and opened her eyes to rake her gaze down his body. He was so wonderful. Strong and solid and just a little soft around the middle, his body left no doubt as to how much he wanted her.
He made a noise of agreement, then guided her backwards as he kissed her again. They both climbed onto the bed, and his lips were on her skin again, one hand sliding down to her hip and slipping under the edge of her panties. It was obviously meant to tease, and it worked. She arched into his touch, and his mouth found the nipple he'd neglected a moment ago.
Whimpering, Emily ran her hands down his back, letting him feel just a hint of nails as she trailed them back up. Everywhere his mouth had been tingled from the memory of his touch. God, this was too good. It almost scared her how good this felt. "More."
"Mmm-hmm," he said, his teeth scraping her skin again in response to her nails. He kissed a trail down her stomach, and then pushed just the edge of her panties over her hip down to kiss along the skin that had been covered.
"More," she whispered again, tugging lightly at his hair. She needed to be distracted from how cherished she suddenly felt. It was too much.
Dave made another noise that she couldn't quite read, but then he slid her panties all the way off and shifted between her legs. He kissed along her abdomen, one hand tracing patterns against her inner thigh, and then he pushed her legs open. It was gentle, but also forceful enough to give Emily the distraction she needed.
She groaned and spread them open for him, watching him with her lips parted. She stroked her fingers through his hair, unable to stop touching him. His fingers slid slowly inside of her, and she let out a little whimper. His fingers must have crooked after a moment, because a jolt of pleasure swept through her whole body.
She let out a little moan, and his lips started to trail from her knee down the inside of her thigh, his goatee scratching slightly and sending little shivers through her. She could feel his breath on her even before he got all the way down, and it was driving her desire higher and higher. When he finally tasted her, she arched and moaned, her fingers going tight in his hair.
He took his time, but there was nothing hesitant about his actions. His tongue flicked against her clit, then stroked down her folds, and Emily couldn't hold back the noise that rose in her throat. He hummed and flicked his tongue against her again. Emily tightened her fingers in his hair and he obediently stayed there. She tensed, then relaxed into the pleasure that washed through her.
He sucked lightly, and she could feel his goatee prickle her sensitive skin, and then he mouthed at her. God, he was good. She tried not to think about it maybe being this good because it was Dave, who knew her better than anyone, and when his tongue started to make little circles around her clit, she arched and moaned, all thought forgotten.
"God yes!" she gasped, trying to keep still but unable to prevent her hips from straining up against his mouth. Molten heat was flooding through her, and she was getting close already. She stroked her fingers through his hair, tracing the edge of his ear, then slipping down to dig her nails lightly into his shoulder.
It seemed to encourage him, and he sucked again, then started circling his tongue faster. When she came she cried out, her nails biting deeper into his skin, probably leaving marks. She slumped against the mattress, panting heavily, and he was grinning when he lifted up to look at her. "Condom," he murmured.
"Oh, God," Emily said, trying to remember if she'd bothered buying any when she thought things might go that way with Joe. "Look in the nightstand. I think there's a box?" Her eyes wanted to close, but she had to watch. She liked the way his muscles moved when he stretched to reach it.
She heard him opening a box, and when he moved back, he leaned in to kiss her, pressing a condom packet into the palm of her hand.
Emily hummed into the kiss, tempted to slip her arms around him but able to take a hint. She tore the packet open without looking, and slid her free hand between them to curl around his cock. She almost wanted to laugh at herself for how good it felt to be touching him, thick and heavy against her palm. "Gorgeous," she murmured. She kissed him again, then had to look to roll the condom onto him, taking her time just to tease him a little.
He let out a low groan of pleasure and desire, then leaned in to kiss her again when she was done. This time his kiss was slower, a little teasing, and a lot tender. It was wonderful and frightening at the same time.
She still had her hand on his cock, so she massaged lightly as their tongues stroked together. Her heart was pounding in her chest. "David," she breathed when the kiss ended. They were still so close her lips brushed his.
"Mmm?" he hummed, and she could see the corners of his lips curling up, just a little.
She just shook her head faintly. She didn't know what she wanted to say. She didn't know if she wanted to say anything...or if she even could say what she was feeling. She kissed him again instead.
He deepened it, one hand sliding over her skin to cup one of her breasts. He shifted a little out of her hand, and then the kiss grew a little more hungry as he slid inside of her.
Emily moaned, sliding her hand to curve against his butt. She ran the other up his back to bury in his hair, feeling desire rise up in her again. God, he felt good.
His hips did a little pivot that made her gasp, and then he started thrusting, his lips moving along her neck. His movements were slow but confident. She hadn't done this in a long time, and it was incredible that this was with Dave, someone she knew and trusted completely.
She didn't think she'd ever felt this intimately connected with someone before. She tried to watch him, but finally she had to close her eyes, afraid of what he might read in them if he looked up. She kept running her fingers through his hair, loving the contact even though she was afraid.
His lips trailed down her neck when she closed her eyes, and she offered him more of her neck as he slid his arm under her knee. "Emily," he whispered, and leaning back and lifting her leg up to his shoulder. When she cried out at the new sensation, the way he felt like he was moving deeper, he sped up and kept her body on fire.
Finally she abandoned thought and surrendered entirely to sensation. As renewed arousal licked through her veins, she dragged her nails over his skin and gasped when that earned a harder thrust. His breath was heavy against her skin, his fingers pressing into her skin desperately. It felt like he was as consumed by this as she was.
When he came, he panted something that might have been her name before lowering his head and kissing her, riding out the aftershocks of his release.
Emily cupped his head in her hands, deepening the kiss and tightening her muscles around him to draw out his pleasure. It was incredible how good this felt. Emily slid her arms around him, enjoying the warm press of his skin against hers.
When his body relaxed, he melted against her and pressed his face to the underside of her jaw. "Oh God, Emily," he panted, and pressed a few lazy kisses to her neck before sliding off to rest next to her.
She made a pleased noise and shifted to press against his side. "Glad you live up to the legend," she murmured breathlessly, and smiled.
He gave a low chuckle that was somehow sexy. Maybe it was how utterly relaxed it sounded. "Mmm." He pulled her close to kiss her again. "Pleasure was all mine, babe," he murmured once they broke apart, a grin spreading across his face.
"I don't know about that," she said, stroking a hand over his chest. "Mmm, feel so good." She felt happy and just a little sore, and incredibly relaxed. It was wonderful.
Dave continued smiling, but it softened into something more affectionate as he lifted a hand and stroked her hair. "You're gorgeous."
A shiver of pleasure went through her and she stretched to kiss his jaw. "Thank you, Dave," she whispered. She sighed and snuggled down against him. Her eyelids were beginning to get heavy.
"Thank you," Dave murmured. "Been wanting to do that for a while."
"Really?" She didn't look up at him. Her gut reaction surprised her, but she found herself feeling a mixture of gladness and apprehension. She stroked her fingers gently across his shoulder, following a smooth line of pale scar tissue.
"Really," he said. "You're beautiful and my best friend."
Oh, God, he was her best friend. Emily felt herself start to tense and forced herself to relax instead. "You're so sweet," she murmured. What was she doing sleeping with her best friend? It had been wonderful, but what if things got weird now? She made a sleepy noise and tried to get back the heavy, sated feeling that she'd had only moments before.
Dave chuckled easily. "You say that now..."
"It's easier to be nice post-orgasm," Emily murmured. She yawned and snuggled a little closer, hoping he would think she was about to drop off. Maybe he'd realize it was okay to go to sleep himself. She needed to be able to think, and she couldn't do that if he stayed awake after this.
"Exactly my point," Dave said. He drew a long breath, and she felt him melt against her.
As she forced her breathing slower and deeper, Emily couldn't help relishing how good this felt. The warmth of Dave's body against hers and how utterly relaxed he was made her want to stop thinking altogether and enjoy this. But their friendship was more important than this...whatever it was.
***
Emily stared through the dim predawn light at the shadows cast across her ceiling. Dave was asleep next to her, but she'd been awake for at least an hour at this point. She was pleasantly sore in places she hadn't been sore for years, but her heart also felt like it was going to pound its way out of her chest, and she was having a hard time breathing. What the hell had she been thinking? She shouldn't have slept with Dave. He was her best friend. He was the one guy she could always count on to understand...or if he didn't, at least to tolerate. And she'd gone and ruined that by sleeping with him.
She wondered what was going to happen when he woke up. Could they just get over this? Could she convince him it would be better if they didn't attempt to be a couple? God, she thought miserably. I messed up so badly.
It felt like she'd been there years, her mind running in circles, when she heard Dave draw the deep breath of someone waking up, which was followed by a much softer yawn. He didn't move for a moment, and when he did, he moved very carefully, getting out of bed and heading in the direction of the bathroom. God, what was she going to do?
When she heard the toilet flush, she debated closing her eyes and pretending to be asleep, but decided that would just be putting off what she knew was going to be awkward. Better to get it over with.
When he walked in, he looked so adorably sleepy that it made her chest feel like it was being squeezed. He climbed back into bed without having noticed she was awake, apparently, but he rolled toward her and slid his hand over her waist... which was when it registered with him that her eyes were open. "Morning," he said, his voice scratchy. "Considering how cheerful you normally are before coffee, I'm surprised you're awake." He rubbed a hand over his eyes, and she was grateful that between that, his sleepiness, and the low light in the room, he hadn't noticed how tight her expression was.
"I couldn't sleep," she said. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She was completely aware of how good Dave's arms felt around her. But the sinking in her stomach wouldn't leave her alone. She shouldn't have let this happen. She shouldn't have invited this. All because Jacob Fucking Ashwood is getting married, she thought ruefully.
"Mmm," Dave hummed. "Stop thinking about this." He kissed her shoulder.
Emily sighed and pressed her lips together. She didn't want to hurt Dave, but she also couldn't imagine any way for this to turn out properly. Finally she rolled over on her side, facing away from him. "Go back to sleep," she said.
"You too," he murmured, snuggling up behind her.
She kept her eyes closed and tried to relax into this feeling. His arms were strong and protective. He seemed so happy. She kept pushing her anxiety down until finally she could feel her breathing slowing. She still felt weird, though. Finally she gave in and rolled out of his arms to get out of bed. "I need some coffee," she murmured, in case he were still awake. Considering his reply was a muffled "Mmph," she doubted that he was.
She wasn't sure how long she sat in her kitchen, sipping her coffee and knowing it would only make her more tense, before she heard her phone ring. She sighed and got up to head back to the bedroom, wrapping her robe around her tightly. When she got there, Dave was mumbling something on his phone too. They had a case. She grabbed her phone and left the room before answering it, not wanting whoever was calling to hear Dave in the background.
She promised JJ she'd be in ASAP and hurried back into the bedroom to grab some clothes. "There are towels in the guest bath," she told Dave, who was rubbing a hand over his face. "Unless you need to head home first to grab your ready bag."
He sucked in a deep breath and sat up. "Yeah, I should do that." He got up, and she turned her gaze away, occupying herself with getting her things together while he got into his clothes. She didn't hear him walk up behind her when he was done, and he turned her around and leaned in for a kiss. She almost pulled away, then caught herself and let him kiss her. They didn't have time to deal with this now. It would wait until after the case.
"See you on the jet," she murmured.
He smiled at her, but after a moment, he blinked and his smile faded. He must have seen something in her expression. "See you on the jet," he agreed, then gently kissed her cheek before pulling away and heading toward the door.
Part Three
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Date: 2010-07-18 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-07-19 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 12:41 pm (UTC)I am totally enjoying the story!
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Date: 2010-08-12 01:43 am (UTC)Also, I LOVE that manip!
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Date: 2010-08-12 01:55 am (UTC)I getting ready in a moment to read part three. I was saving the pleasure to savor it tonight!