Little Belle Gone (11 page)

Panting, he held her tight against him, afraid she might still be in some kind of danger, as the echo of the impact bounced around the room with deafening volume. Whipping his head to see what had come down on them, he found part of the crane that had been used to lower them in now lying, bent and broken, on the floor of the cistern. Following its path back up to its source, he shouted a few obscenities at the person, or persons, responsible for their scare. Turning back to the shivering figure in his arms, her face buried into his chest, he lowered her to her feet. “Liz! Liz, are you o...”

The adrenalin of the last moment, coupled with the pent-up attraction and the feel of her body pressed firmly against his, had been more than she could handle. Hearing his voice had set something wild loose inside her. Faster than he could react, she twined her arms around his neck and lift herself to his mouth, pressing her lips to his in the middle of his sentence. For a second he seemed stunned, but as she felt his arms circle around her tightly, and his lips soften against hers, she purred against his mouth. She had never done this before, but in that moment it had seemed like the only thing for her to do. She had seen it so many times in the movies she loved, and it looked so simple. Surely, she could figure it out. As he reacted and moved over her mouth, returning her passion with his own, she mirrored his movements as best she could. When the tip of his tongue slid over her bottom lip, the quiver it produced had caused her lips to part, involuntarily. Still reeling from the feel of his tongue on her lip, the taste of it plunging into her mouth very nearly undid her. Moaning at the unexpected thrill of it, she let hers slip into his mouth.

His reaction was as intense as hers. The groan charging in his throat was accompanied by his arm wrapping even more tightly around her. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to sink into him completely, free of the present bulk of their protective gear. His gloved hands slid over her back, one sliding down to cup her bottom firmly, lifting her a little higher. Pulling away from his mouth slightly as her spine arched in reaction, she whispered, “Matt,” along with her groan.

“Oh god, Liz...” His voice was raspy and thick as he buried his face in her neck, running his tongue along the line of her jaw. In that moment she had no past, no future, it was only now, and she was his. If he had asked in the heat swirling between them she would have gladly given herself to him, wanting his pleasure as much as her own. She ran her moistened, swollen lips over his cheek toward his ear, and finding the soft lobe, she followed her instinct and sucked it lightly. His body jerked against her as he pulled her hips in harshly against his iron hard thighs. The feeling made her giggle against his neck and he growled in his chest. She pulled her head back slightly, hoping to find his mouth again, wanting to drink him in, as if she were dying of thirst.

His face lifted, and his lustful smile came into view, sending a wave of liquid heat through her whole body. Before she could take his mouth again, the shouting from the hole in the ceiling broke in on their moment. The C.S.I.s were calling down to them, desperate to know that they were okay after the accident. Groaning, she leaned her forehead against his. “Shit...” She stared into his eyes as he gave her a weary smile, and a squeeze, before lowering her to the floor again.

She didn’t want to release his neck. As he kissed her lightly, fleetingly, he whispered, “Oh don’t worry, we’re not finished with this by a long shot, but what do you say we get out of this hole first?” Nodding slyly, she let her arms slide slowly from him, savoring the sigh that racked his body. Shaking slightly, he pulled away and began yelling back to the team on the surface, his voice was unnecessarily insistent when he demanded fiercely that they be removed from this hole immediately. She couldn’t help but laugh when he added that they had somewhere more important to be, and they needed to get there soon.

It took him five extra minutes to change out of that clumsy suit than it had taken to get into it. His hands were shaking drastically from her kiss, and he could still tasted her mouth on his. She was delicious, mint with a hint of strawberries. The thought sent a shiver of heat down his spine. Her kiss had caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected her to be the aggressor between the two of them but, looking back, he should have known. She had been the one to make the first move in the elevator, after all. He wanted to get her back into his car, drive her some place quiet where they could be alone again, and see just how aggressive she could be. The hard length of his manhood ached where he had tucked it along the inside of his thigh, deciding that there was little chance of it calming down anytime soon. She had him, lost completely to her he was, and he loved every minute of it.

He stopped in front of the restroom mirror before leaving, only to find that a telling, goofy, grin spread across his face from ear to ear and he could do nothing to rein it in. At the moment he was simply too happy and excited to care. He knew now that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her, which meant there was nothing to stand between them but the time between this moment and when they could be alone again. As he was about to step out of the bathroom, he caught a whiff of himself. Unfortunately, the time spent in that horrible cistern had coated him in that revolting stench. Ugh, he couldn’t seduce her knowing he smelled of sewage, even if she swore she didn’t care. She deserved more, perfection. Sighing, he reluctantly decided that he needed to grab a shower before he found that wonderfully private spot he had just been thinking about.

After leaving the bathroom, and tossing his gear into the crime lab van, he was barking instructions at the C.S.I.s when Elizabeth came around the corner. Seeing her flush when their eyes met broke his concentration. Centering himself, he attempted to pick up where he left off, trying not to focus on the movements of her body as she tossed her suit into the van with his. After giving them instructions to take the materials he and Elizabeth had collected back to the crime lab, he led her to his car. An awkward silence had settled between them as he pulled the car out of the park. The tension was so thick it was hard for him to breath.

“Liz, I think maybe we should talk about...what just happened. I, well...” Now that the moment had come, he was lost for words. There was so much he wanted to say, but he couldn’t figure out how.

“Oh. You don’t have to say anything. I guess it was just the hormonal response to a fright. I’m sorry...it...it won’t happen again.” Her voice sounded so hurt and filled with sadness that he almost screamed. Unable to cope with the thought that she believed he was rejecting her, he jerked the car dangerously across two, very busy, lanes of traffic. Skidding to a stop, he slammed the car into park. It was almost violent how fast he reached for her, but his hands were gentle as he caught her face. Pulling her to him, he paused, her mouth so close to his that his lips brushed over hers as he breathed.

“Don’t ever apologize for that. It was beautiful. You’re so beautiful. Oh god, Liz...it scares me how badly I want you. How much I need you.” His eyes searched hers, trying to find the words, and the courage to say them, and failing. When her lips parted on a gasp, he seized her mouth, unable to wait another second. They sat, straining against their seat-belts, devouring each other for what seemed like forever. With each nibble he gave her, she returned one to him and in this way they fed off of each other, one intimate movement at a time. The more of her he took, the more of herself she gave him, driving his body to shake under her touch.

Her small hands had slipped around his neck and her delft fingers were tangling and combing through the hair on the back of his neck. One small hand slid around the front of his neck and traced the muscle divide that ran down the center of his torso. Reaching the waist of his pants, her fingers had turned and slid their way back to his neck again, gliding over his taunt flesh, hidden by the thin layer of his shirt. His hands found her body, too. His fingers ran down her shoulders and along her sides, pulling forward slightly, he let his thumbs brush over the plump swells of her breasts, causing her to whimper.

The world went silent and dark, nothing existed outside of his car, beyond her arms, her body. Dragging his thumbs over her breasts again in small circular motions, he felt the peaks of her nipples grow firm under his touch. Pulling away from her mouth slightly he moaned again. “Holy shit, Liz...I...I can’t...I need...” Her mouth found his again, cutting him off. As much as he reveled in her aggression, there was something he needed to tell her, something she needed to hear. Pulling back again, he tried to clear his mind, organize his thoughts in the cloudy swirl of his passion fill heart. “Wait, Liz, I need to say this...” This time it was her finger that stopped him.

“Whatever it is, I will hear you out, but honestly, right now Matt, I just want to be with you.” She pressed her forehead to his and smiled. They were both panting now, out of breath from the ferocity of their activities. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, pulling it toward him slightly, causing her to groan.

“Your mouth is so perfect.”

“Matt, hehe, shut up...” He kissed her again. Slowly, passionately, this time. As his hands moved to return to her breasts, a tap at his window jerked him from her so violently that his head bounced painfully off his headrest. Looking up, a traffic cop was beaming down at them slyly from the other side of the glass.

Elizabeth pulled back to her seat so fast she hit her elbow hard on the door handle. Crossing her arms over her chest in an effort to cover her arousal, she rubbed her hand soothingly over her aching joint. Her face was now beat red and she was completely out of breath,
perfect timing for a cop to come along,
she mused, begrudgingly. She watched, utterly embarrassed, as Matt rolled the window down for the police officer. Matt seemed just as flustered as she was, but the officer seemed to be familiar with this particular embarrassing situation.

“Good afternoon, sir. Are you aware that you are sticking out in traffic and that engaging in physical activities behind the wheel of a car is against the law?” He was so calm that it made her giggle a little. How often had he come across this exact situation for him to be so casual about it?

“Oh, ah, yes, officer I do. Sorry, I just got caught up in the moment. It won’t happen again. I promise.” The shyness in Matt’s voice made her insides cry out to hold him again.

“Can I get your license and registration , sir?” She had to giggle again. Oh god, what was he going to think when he discovered that Matt was a homicide detective, caught making out with his partner, in a car pulled only halfway off the road? If it wasn’t so thrillingly embarrassing, she might have found it funny.

Matt handed his paperwork to the officer in embarrassed silence and they both watched as he returned to his patrol car, parked in the lane behind them, blocking traffic completely. Turning to her, he reached down and took her hand. Right now, she knew it was all he dared. “I wonder what his reaction is going to be when he runs my name?” Sharing a look, they both burst into nervous laughter. They were still chuckling when the patrolman returned.

“Sorry about that Detective, it’s just that, well, you are illegally parked and, well, engaging in...” The officer was the one who was embarrassed now. He couldn’t even finish his thought. Matt smiled warmly as he took his paperwork back.

“Don’t apologize, officer. I was breaking the law and you were doing your job. If you feel you need to write me a ticket then please do.” Matt’s words seemed to cause the officer even more distress.

Clearing his throat halfheartedly, he continued, “I think this time I let you off with a verbal warning, after all, I have been in love myself.” He smiled shyly at Elizabeth before continuing. “Just be a bit more deliberate next time. Oh, there is a message for you on the official boards. A Captain Moreano wants to see you, and a Detective Cord, right away.” When Matt shot Elizabeth a quick glance, the patrol officer sank even farther into his shoes and backed away, realizing suddenly that he had just pulled over, not one, but two homicide detectives for making-out like common teenagers. Not able to contain his embarrassment any longer, he turned and almost fled back to his patrol car without so much as a goodbye. Honking his horn, he motioned for Matt to pull out while he had traffic stopped. Elizabeth expected him to release her hand, but before he did, he pulled it to his mouth and kissed it gently on the knuckles.

His lips still pressed against her, he said, “We’ll continue this later.” Letting go of her hand slowly, he pulled the car back out onto the road and headed for the precinct. She snuggled down into her seat and sighed deeply. As he drove, she gazed out the window, passion and pleasure making her eye lids heavy and her vision blurred. Occasionally, when traffic was calm enough for him to spare a hand, she would feel his fingers land lightly on her thigh. Each time, his touch sent waves of fire licking over her body, making her heart pound against the crumbling ice wall that, now, just barely hemmed it in.

She had hoped they would be alone in the elevator, imagining what their exchange would be like if they had been able to truly hold each other, free of those annoying seat-belts, but the crowd standing in front of the elevator doors as they entered the precinct’s main floor dashed her hopes. Joining the crowd, Matt managed to squeeze her hand and smile sadly at her. Apparently, he was hoping the same thing. It made her flustered to think that he could want her as much as she wanted him. Flustered and excited. When the elevator arrived, they crowded onto it with everyone else, standing just close enough for their fingers to brush together secretly. She laughed to herself that they were behaving like teenagers again, sneaking small touches while the teacher wasn’t looking.

When the doors opened onto their floor, the whole room was abuzz. They made their way through the bustle of passing detectives, weaving through the groups gathered in any free space not already occupied. She had never seen so many people in the office at one time. Matt gave her a look that mirrored her own confusion, as he ducked around a particularly loud detective engaging in a heated discussion on the telephone with someone who wasn’t answering his questions fast enough, whatever his questions had been to begin with. Taking her hand for a second, Barrow pulled her around a ridiculously large group of arguing detectives and uniformed officers, but he released her suddenly when they found themselves face to face with Captain Moreano.