Part III

The single lamp on her nightstand was enough light to throw her bedroom into a low-stated orange hue, shadows flickering and hiding in the corners. She locked her bedroom door, her hand hovering nervously on the handle a second longer than necessary. The click when she turned the lock resounded louder than she thought possible, echoing in the pit of her abdomen with a spike.

She leveled her gaze on him, avidly following his approach. The dark color of his eyes rested single-mindedly on her, exalted features sharpening when he smiled. The look transferred to heat the moment it touched her skin, enforced when he cupped her cheek, that first contact hot on her skin.

Andy undressed her first.

The motions were slow and measured, intentionally lingering and softly tracing invisible patterns that had everything to do with undressing her as slowly as possible.

Sharon watched him closely, her breath trapped in her throat like a big wad of cotton too dry to move up or down. She burned and burned, the fusion of a sun beneath her skin, anticipation beginning to run wild within her. There was even a split second where she felt pathetic, the feeling however quickly pushed aside when he touched her again. His fingers nimbly unbuttoned the two buttons of her blazer while he gazed back at her, the look intense.

She had to look away to compose herself. Instead she made do with staring at the perfected knot of his tie and the way the silk lay flat against his chest, immaculate in color and pattern. She stared at his chin, the smallest appearance of stubble noticeable this close to him. She rested her eyes on his throat and the movement when he swallowed. She felt the low pressurized air that left his mouth, warm as it blew past her.

His fingers bypassed her neck with a caress when he helped her out of the blazer, the garment landing in a pool on her floor.

The undressing felt like a slow dance.

It was mesmerizing watching him slowly work his way through her clothing. He prolonged the time it took to open her shirt, undoing the buttons with care so that between every button, he sneaked in a kiss to her lips. The kiss preceded a detour of his fingers, his hands sweeping down the material of silk along her sides, edging just past the curve of her breasts but never quite touching.

Upon every travel close to her breasts, she held her breath, her mouth falling more and more apart.

The man obviously knew what he was doing.

Deliberately driving her insane, that was.

She would fault him only every kiss he bestowed to her lips left her feeling higher and higher, her knees weakening and her underwear getting wetter.

Drunk with desire, she thought with a giddy smile. Her skin felt sensitized to his touch, her lips tingling in poisonous anticipation for the next kiss, the next touch. The air that she swallowed found its way out raggedly, her breathing likewise affected.

Another button was let free, the top of her shirt gaping wide. His hand trailed down following the slope of one breast, his eyes on the revealed cleavage. She tried to breathe without restraint but then his hand swept under her shirt and went under the cover of her bra, just on the point of covering her nipple.

She closed her eyes and waited.

His tweaked her nipple between his thumb and index finger, his eyes dark in color when she opened her eyes. She opened her mouth only for her moan to be captured in another kiss, the air she would have expelled swallowed up whole by him, his lips demanding and hard, those fingers tightening around her nipple.

She moaned again.

He let her breast go and then, as if nothing had happened, slowly started undoing another button while he still moved his mouth leisurely against hers.

The kiss ended and then he swept her hair over her shoulder, his hand around her neck with a touch that was not exactly soft. A decisive touch she thought, his thumb going down the length of her throat.

He leaned in and in a rough voice against her ear, the hand still on her throat, he whispered, "If there's something specific you want, you'll tell me, hmm?"

She nodded, that breathless feeling rearing its head once again.

He smiled, the white of his teeth catching her attention.

The soft pad of his thumb touched the underside of her jaw and he lifted her chin up, her eyes now in line with his.

She smiled back, encouraging his touch with a hum.

He followed the path of her collarbone to the right with two fingers and then he dipped down and caught her mouth with his.

The kiss was deep and full.

The fulfilling aspect of kissing had either escaped her memory or she was experiencing something novel, something different. His lips embraced her fully, anesthetized her to the outside world and all she could do was hold her attention on kissing him back with the same zeal.

Andy kissed her and kissed her, lathering her with one stunning kiss after another. The motions were languid and yet heartfelt, his hands landing on her waist and then he guided her steps backwards towards her bed. She envied his steady hands. Her own hands were trembling treacherously, the involuntary movement stilled when she pressed them to the back of his spine, pulling him firmly against her.

When he moved away from her mouth, he quickly resumed the kiss. He settled his lips against her neck, his lips soothing before his teeth bit down, the sharp bite surprising.

Sharon arched her head back and pressed her lips together.

She let one hand follow the broad expanse of his clothed back and then curled her fingers around his neck, her fingers playing in the short strands of hair till he bit down around the skin of her neck again, then she crumbled her fingers around his neck, her nails digging into his skin.

Andy grunted and the sound against her throat tingled, the vibration coalescing in the pit of her abdomen. There was something so rough and unadulterated about the sound, something sensual. She felt ready to simply melt in his arms.

His tongue wandered down over her skin, soothing the bite before he went down to a lower point on her throat. He bestowed another soft kiss and then another rough bite.

She tightened her grip on his neck, the sound that left her throat guttural.

He roughly captured her lips again, a growl in the back of his throat and she hummed in response, her fingers tightening further around his neck.

His hand landed on the back of her spine and she felt him easing the zipper down in the back of her skirt, this time the motion of it was hurried, his other hand helping to get the zipper down as quickly as possible.

Sharon heard her own breath hitch and she quickly unbuttoned the last button in her shirt, throwing the garment to the floor. She nearly closed her eyes, the feeling of standing in her bra tinted by a burst of self-consciousness. She felt the material of her skirt slide down her thighs, his hands helping it along. She quickly unclasped her bra in the back and then slipped out of it, letting it fall unceremoniously to the floor.

She opened her eyes.

The next kisses he bestowed on her skin were moving rapidly downwards, toward her exposed chest and she took another breath and held it, the pressure inside her ready to implode at the contact. His lips went over her collarbone, down towards the slope of one breast.

Her skirt slipped down around her ankles and his hands clamped around her hips, his fingers diving under the hem of her underwear, the tip of his fingers just on the middle of her ass. His mouth covered her right nipple, the graze of his sharp teeth pressing around her areola.

He sucked her nipple into the warmth of his mouth, the fire of it shooting straight to her center in a throb.

He grasped harder around her ass and licked her nipple before he once again sucked it into his mouth, her fingers digging into the top of his shoulders, not sure if she was going to go through the skin or not.

He moved to the other breasts, the hot wave that hit her nipple when he swallowed it, pushing her over the brink.

It was just entirely too much.

She needed a small break to breathe – before she stopped breathing or even worse, fainted.

"Andy, I just – I just need a moment," she stopped him with a hand to his chest, her voice sounding foreign to herself. Hoarse and breathless, too deep and tremulous.

Andy instantly halted, his mouth letting her go. Cold air on her nipple tickled and she inhaled rather sharply, watching him straighten up. His dark eyes landed on her with concern.

His hand was warm around her shoulder, "Sure, sure."

"I just," she tried to explain, "I mean. It's a little overwhelming."

He softly touched her cheek, "Hey, I understand. Your pace, right."

"Right," she nodded, a bit angry at herself.

She tried to breathe, tried to force it out and regulate it into an unobstructed path of air but it kept escaping her.

She did not mind standing in only her underwear in front of him, she did not mind that she would be naked soon or that he would touch her, she did not mind that he would be so close that she would be able to feel him breathe, to feel his ribcage and diaphragm move. She was merely a bit nervous and a bit excited.

She was a fucking mess, sexually.

Well, she couldn't tell him that.

Andy caressed the side of her neck and then bestowed a slow and sweet kiss to her lips.

"Why don't you lie down?" he offered, his voice soft and calming, "I'll get out of my clothes and we can, you know, snuggle."

The words made her smile, the breath that left her lungs easier to expel.

"Oh," she hummed, "well, okay."

He nodded encouragingly.

"I like snuggling," she smiled.

"Me too," he leaned in to whisper, once again catching her lips in a slow kiss.

When he let go of her, his hands landed on his tie and he started undoing the knot, his eyes on her with a gleam.

Sharon inhaled sharply and then nodded again, backing into her bed and then quickly sitting down on the edge of it. She buried her hands in the bedding cover, the material thick and familiar beneath her fingers.

Andy quickly undid the buttons in his shirt, his white undershirt visible. His eyes rested on her as he undid his belt next, the corner of his mouth twitching when he undid his zipper.

Sharon watched him, her eyes on his bare arms when his shirt slipped to the floor.

She had touched his biceps on occasion, the muscles always strong beneath her touch. Now, she felt fascinated by the naked muscles, her lower abdomen quivering. She licked her lower lip and then pressed her lips together.

Sharon scooted back on the bed, aware that Andy unconsciously stopped his motions and instead followed her movement, his eyes on her breasts.

She smiled, excitement once again more prominent.

She pushed two throw pillows behind her back and then she looked at him, enjoying his movements. His pants slipped down and then he took the hem of his undershirt and pulled it over his head.

He was standing in only his boxers now, the color a calm blue.

She smiled and caught his eyes, her smile only widening.

Her eyes flickered downwards and this time she became acutely aware of him. The thick hairy thighs, the middle of his waist. The bulge, so much more noticeably and quantifiable, drew her gaze even more than any other thing about him. It was still covered and yet she could precisely draw the outline of it, the form huge as it stretched against the material.

It was enough to make her want to squirm, her core throbbing.

Her eyes were on it as he crawled on atop of the bedding as well.

She continued to look at it.

She felt breathless again, itching to reach out and grasp him and then on the other hand, she felt anxious. Ridiculous, really. It was just a goddamn penis.

"Hey?"

She looked up and tried a smile, "Hey."

His smile was relaxing.

His hand caressed her jaw, his fingers slipping behind her ear before he leaned in and kissed her again. His kiss coaxed her to lie down with him, on their sides facing each other. They were so close she could feel the warmth of his skin, so close she could feel his breath on her lips when he broke away. So close that the difference between kissing and not kissing consisted of an inch.

The position exposed her wholly; eye contact so vivid and intimate it encapsulated her in warmth.

Andy traced his hand down her body, from the side of her neck to the top of her shoulder, down the side of her arm and up along the curve of her waist before he returned to the start, his fingers soft against her neck. The touches delved under her skin, warm and consistent.

Sharon leaned forward, her chest pressed against his, the tingling of his chest hair against her nipples exalting before she captured his lips, seeking out his bottom lip and then sweeping her tongue in.

She tried to tell him how deep she was in love with him, her mouth eagerly on his, exploring and bringing him with her. The bed dipped and she felt the weight of him slide in over her. His chest heavy and his lower body on top, settling between her legs. He covered her fully in warmth and heaviness, pressing her into the soft bed cover, obscuring her view.

She spread her legs apart and curled first one leg around him and then the other. He slid closer to her center and she might have moaned at the chaste touch of their clothed groins.

He deepened the kiss and she felt his hand on her hips and then his fingers went under the band of her underwear. His hips elevated as he settled on his knees, slipping her underwear down her legs and then he threw the material behind him.

The skin on her inner thighs prickled as she spread her legs even more and she felt his fingers adjourn up from her knee, gliding up and up on the inside of her thigh until they edged so close to her center that she held her breath and closed her eyes.

She opened them again when he kissed her.

"Can I lick you?" he asked, his smile cheeky when she took in the arched eyebrow and the eyes that went in a south direction.

She hummed with a nod, too excited to speak.

He gave her a last, deep kiss and then his mouth moved south, giving her right breast a kiss in passing before he passed her navel. Her mouth fell apart in anticipation and her eyes fast locked on her ceiling.

His mouth landed on her lower abdomen, the skin sensitive and tingling as she felt his lips move down in a straight line, over the small trim of hair and then she felt his tongue go out and draw a line down through her folds, wet and soft.

She might have whimpered, her legs going even further apart as she made room for him to lie between her legs.

His hands caressed the sides of her calves and then he moved her legs over his shoulder and buried his face into her center, his mouth pressed hotly against her.

He started with long strokes of his tongue, wetting her and lulling her into a warm feeling, dousing and languid until his tongue circled her clitoris and then refocused all its attention on her bundle. Then pleasure curled through her in heat and fire, building and building, tension on top of more tension, till she felt her body tense up in tightness.

His mouth was hot on her, his hands warm on her lower abdomen drawing patterns while his tongue did its own patterns. It wound her up and up.

She closed her eyes and floated away in the feeling.

It simmered in her body, building up momentum in her inner walls and throughout her lower abdomen. Of all the things she had imagined, coming with his mouth on her clitoris and her hands in his hair, with muted moans, was not one of them. It blissfully overrode every thought she had – it forcefully exploded in her body and she felt like a spring coiled and coiled to the point where it suddenly uncoiled, springing.

Inside, she screamed.

Outside and for him, she moaned and passed her fingers through his hair, amazed.

…

The street lights were slowly blinking out of existence, the crest of the horizon starting to lighten up. Dawn was breaking and darkness had been a cocoon of companionship until now. Daylight, and the reality of her life, brought a strange feeling that while euphoric also had a snip of self-awareness in it.

The car was parked and the engine died down with a low hum.

Silence was brief.

"Thank you for being there with me. For being my friend," Andy Flynn said, his smile warm when she turned her head to look at him in the driver's seat.

He chuckled, the tone somewhat coy, "For being my personal buffer but mostly for getting my head out of my ass."

The man was adorably unsure of himself.

Sharon leaned in across the console, her hand very shortly on his shoulder.

"Oh, don't mention it. It was a beautiful wedding. I had a good time," she paused and smiled, " – and the company was not entirely too unpleasing."

"Are you calling me remotely unpleasing?" he joked with a lopsided smile, his eyes dark.

She smiled back at him, her hand moving down to pat his forearm. In a more serious tone she told him, her eyes holding his, "I was happy to help you out, Andy. Your daughter is beautiful, and I could see a lot of you in her."

He smiled, "Thank you. It means a lot to me."

She nodded.

They stared at each other for a while, holding eye contact that contained wide smiles. The moment was broken when a car door slammed outside in the parking lot.

"C'mon," he said, opening the door, "I'll follow you up."

Sharon followed him, her purse strap over her shoulder.

Her feet felt sore when she walked, the heels snuck.

She had forgotten the numerous dances that were required of attending a wedding; not that she minded.

Her condominium complex loomed in front of them, still alight in the receding darkness and she happily took his offer of an arm. She looped her arm through his, her fingers gently on his wrist.

It felt completely natural to have him walk her inside, natural to walk this close to him, the stride slow. It felt natural until they actually made it inside her lobby and then suddenly, she felt something different than mere companionship. Something she could not pinpoint.

Maybe she was too conscious of herself; of him. Too conscious of the way it felt to walk this closely to him, his scent prominent and manly. It reminded her of lying naked in bed the scent of another person intense as you lay tangled in limbs, skin so close and warm.

It was a strange image seeing it was close to a decade since she had last lain in bed with a naked man; strange seeing she should not be thinking about Andy Flynn in that context.

She blamed the wedding for the feeling.

Surely the whole ceremony and reception had brought out some remnant in her; some forgotten remnant of romance and some long-buried memory of being close to another human being, resurfaced at the notion of love being tied together in matrimony. That or she was merely so pathetic that simply walking next to a man had her nerves in a bundle.

It did not help that she still lingered in the feeling of dancing with him, the imprint of his hand splayed on her spine still fresh in her recollection, his chest close to hers and his hands warm and strong around hers.

She settled on pathetic and somewhat lonely; that would explain why she focused on his scent now. Why she found herself drawn toward his smile and dark eyes. Why she contemplated his form and how she would fit in his embrace.

She quickly reminded herself that not so long ago – two years to be exact – Andy Flynn had despised her very existence. She tried to recall the feeling of always being yelled at; the memory of him throwing his weight around and blaming her for what went wrong in his division.

It still did not stand much ground against the man she now knew.

He was different.

Considerate.

Loyal.

Willing to change.

What stood out most, in light of the wedding, was his love.

The shine to his eyes, the brown color warm when he looked at his daughter. The smile that while hesitant and unsure, was full of love.

In front of the elevator in the lobby, she quickly disentangled herself from him.

"Well," she nervously wet her lips and then pushed the button, eyeing him out of the corner of her eye.

"So," he pushed his hands into his pockets, his smile carefree, "I guess this is goodnight."

"Yes," she clung desperately to the word, "yes, goodnight. It is. Goodnight, Andy."

She might as well have forcibly pushed him out the entrance door; she sounded aloof and uptight.

"Goodnight Sharon and thank you," he told her again and then surprising her completely, he bestowed her with a cheek kiss, his mouth warm on her skin.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he gave her a full hand wave, his smile still playing on his lips.

She smiled back, somewhat shakily and passed two fingers in the air for an awkward wave.

Of all things, the man put cracks in her composure; out of the blue and without much forewarning.

She pushed the button for the elevator again, her eyes seeking out his retreating back as he walked out of her lobby.

When she was well hidden in the elevator, she focused on the kiss again.

It was friendly.

It was nothing dangerous.

Yet, she felt it very well could be. What if she had moved? What if he had kissed her closer to the edge of her mouth and she had turned her head? What if he kissed her again, the next time? Not that she was certain about what a next time would entail?

What if she wanted him to kiss her? Truly, on the mouth.

She did not sleep much.

Instead she opted for a large cup of coffee.

After her third cup, she had convinced herself that a kiss on the cheek was collegial.

…

"Working homicide, I would consider drinking coffee," Andy Flynn surprised her, "you know, something that will keep you awake and not put you to sleep."

Sharon looked over her shoulder, her fingers pausing on the assortment of teas she was pulling out of her purse.

The break room had been quiet like the rest of the building and she had thought she would be alone to bring her tea into the break room. She should have known better. Andy Flynn was a known night-raven; he practically lived in the building.

"What is that?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow and a pointed look. She had heard him just fine.

The man sat down on a table, one foot on a chair. His tone was casual with a slight pinch of superiority, "Another bit of advice for the homicide rookie, simply. Tea is not gonna help you in the long run."

He gave the tea box currently in her hands a poignant look.

Sharon smiled cordially, "Some tea is caffeinated."

"Really?" he lifted an eyebrow, his voice full of disbelief.

"Yes, lieutenant Flynn," she smiled wryly and then quickly took out the rest of her packed tea, quick to file them into the cabinet above her, neat next to a bag of coffee grind.

"You're gonna stand even more out like a sore thumb with a cup of tea in your hands, you know," he said, his tone suspiciously light, "I would make fun of you but I sorta saw this coming. Internal affairs is just the sort of place to cultivate a tea obsession."

Sharon looked back at him, taken aback by the light tone.

The man looked amused.

Four days in her new job and she was still waiting for him to blow up. Lieutenant Provenza was in full-blown offense mode and she had counted on Andy Flynn not being far behind. The man turned out to be supportive; the definition of surprise in her book.

She dangled a teabag in the air, her mouth curled around a smug smile, "You want a cup of mint tea, lieutenant? Is that what you are fishing for?"

"Oh god no," he chuckled "I will stick to my coffee."

"Your loss," she tried a smile.

He smiled back.

Another surprise.

The lieutenant continued to sit there, superior and self-assured on the table, staring at her while she fixed herself up with a cup of warm mint tea.

"Is there anything I can do for you, lieutenant?" she wondered out aloud, her mouth pursed. She was being scrutinized, that much she knew. She was still waiting for him to point out all her flaws; why else seek her out if not to tell her she did not belong in Major Crimes?

She crossed her arms while she waited for the water to boil in the kettle, giving back the same smug smile. There was something he found amusing about the situation she could tell. Andy Flynn was not the first smug bastard to grace her professional life; she knew how to handle them.

He shook his head, the sly smirk barely suppressed.

"Mike Tao might love a cup of tea," he told her, still smiling suspiciously, "and Buzz would not say no either."

She nodded, not sure why he was telling her.

"But whatever you do, don't ever offer tea to Provenza or Sanchez."

She couldn't help the smile, "And why is that?"

"Provenza will think even less of you and Julio will think you are weird. I say, wait at least four months before you start offering them mint tea."

She couldn't help but smile. Then in a fake sweet voice, she said, "Thank you for the advice."

The lieutenant rolled his eyes, "Oh, don't mention it."

His voice was rough and sarcastic; more in lieu of what she expected of him.

"And what about you?" she asked him, her eyes curiously on him, "what do you think of me?"

"I think you're the boss now," he shrugged, that cheeky smile that she knew too well fully fledged. The man knew his way around disarming smiles, that was sure.

She shook her head and then gave him an eye roll.

After a brief pause, her back turned to him as she took the kettle off and poured the hot water into a cup, he spoke again.

"So, that mint tea? Is that caffeinated?"

Sharon turned around, her mouth twisting into a smile, "Why yes."

She stared back at him, waiting.

He smiled, his eyes dark, "Well, count me in. I will try it then."

Sharon took out another cup and put in a tea bag, pouring water in.

She watched him take the cup and give it a suspicious look.

She shook her head again and quickly ducked it before he could read the amusement on her face.

Maybe Andy Flynn was the least of her worries.

…

In the aftermath haze of climax, she barely noticed the heavy, eager kisses that were put on her skin from her hip to her shoulder. She barely comprehended the pause and the sudden rustle, her eyes still closed.

The man settled between her legs again and the naked feel of his erection against her wet center, surely woke her up from sated pleasure.

His eyes were on hers, gleaming with something that looked smug and happy.

She smiled back, leaning up and meeting his lips.

They were warm and slightly wet, her own taste on them pronounced.

He was hard against her entrance, gorged and thick. She was wet enough, his tongue having done its part and so when he pushed, he slipped in slowly, inch by inch till he fully filled her out. The friction reverberated through her in ecstasy, hot and almost unbearable. His fingers latched onto her hips and he pushed himself even deeper, her moan at the contact higher than any moan she had emitted before.

She wrapped her legs around his middle, enjoying the small change in angle, even more noticeable when he moved out and then slid into her again.

His mouth found hers, the kiss sloppy as he started moving.

The rhythm was slow. Slow enough that she felt the entire length of him slide into her with a press that curled through her entire body. The friction of it, the whole notion of it, had her toes curling with tension, still high enough from her orgasm to feel like she might have another on the spot.

She curled her hands around his arms, the muscles flexing beneath her as he pounded into her.

His lips landed on her neck, the breath warm.

She had no concept of time, not like this. She was lost in the feeling of him, on top and wonderfully heavy, his penis, hard and filling her out, sliding into her with ease and then out again, the contact quivering in her abdomen.

The pleasure of it tingled and tingled, simmering low.

They changed position. His hands were once again certain as they softly left feathery touches on her skin, his mouth landing on the back of her shoulder when she turned around on her side, her back to his chest. He slid into her again, the angle new and exciting, the press of him against her once again hard and thick.

He pushed his hips into her, his length pushing deeper.

She liked this position, her ass backed up to his groin as he spooned her from behind, his chest sturdy and warm to fit against. She tugged her legs a bit higher and pushed back against him, humming in pleasure.

He snuck a kiss behind her ear, whispering something she thought sounded much like a declaration of love.

Then he started up a slow rhythm, the friction of his penis becoming thicker inside her enough to make her walls cling to him, enough to make her insides feel like the sizzling before an explosion. He slipped into her again and again, the impact almost alike to an orgasm.

He found her hand and she tightened her hold on him, his warm fingers a welcome.

When he sped up, she muffled her voice into the bedding, her skin prickling and tingling.

By the time he was grunting into the side of her neck, his breath perturbed and his rhythm steady yet fast, she felt like liquid heat just a flicker from imploding. He was close she could tell by his heavy breaths. And then he surprised her, his hand around her thigh and lifting it up till he could touch her folds and clitoris, his fingers certain on her as he continued to pound into her.

She came again, too surprised this time to censor herself. She came hard and almost painfully, not even aware that his rhythm changed and became erratic as he too came, his voice gruff and hot against her skin.

She slipped into the haze again.

She felt him slip out of her, tugging his condom off.

She curled more tightly into a ball, feeling strangely sated and drowsy, breathing in slowly and exhaling even slower.

Andy leaned in and kissed her cheek, lingering as he kissed her again. Then the bed dipped and he moved away and she listened to his footsteps as he moved out to the hall and the bathroom.

After a couple of minutes he came back and she felt the bed dip when he lay down next to her again, once again covering her in warmth.

Sharon turned around in his embrace.

She smiled and kissed him, happy to linger in the feeling.

Throughout the night she felt wide awake and unable to go to sleep. Next to her under the covers, Andy's arm slung across her waist every now and then. The man slept peacefully, snoring softly. She lay still and counted his breaths and then tried to imitate them. Still, she stayed awake, only slumbering on and off. It was simply just the strange sensation of sleeping next to someone that kept her up; it was new and exciting. Or maybe it was the fulfilment of everything that kept her awake.

She must have fallen asleep after all because he woke her up with kisses and the promise of more.

…

The end. =)

Thank you for all the comments =)