Subterfuge Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not Mine, except for any mistakes - I sadly own those.

A/N – Sorry, I meant to have this out over a week ago but life got busy, then I decided I wasn't nuts about the ending so I had to make some changes. I'm finally happy with it. ;)

"You look nice." It had taken Hotch by surprise when she'd come in to the office Monday looking like something that stepped out of a Victoria's Secret catalog. In her role as a liaison she'd always worn skirts, however, when she made the transition to profiler she switched to slacks. He hadn't been aware how much he missed the skirts until he'd seen her in one.

JJ flashed him an appreciative smile as she smoothed down her skirt. "Thanks. I cleaned out my closet yesterday afternoon." She moved by him to get to the coffee pot and, feigning directional confusion, pressed against him intimately. "Oh, sorry."

Hotch almost gulped when she brushed against him as she reached for the coffee pot. He breathed deeply, inhaling what he was pretty sure was some kind of vanilla concoction that smelled sinfully delicious. He managed to keep his voice even when he joked to her, "Whew, I thought maybe you had an interview or something."

"Very funny." She looked over at him and narrowed her eyes. "You're not looking to get rid of me again are you?" She reached over and brushed imaginary lint from his lapel then laid her hand against his chest. "Who would keep you looking good if I weren't around?"

Hotch frowned, his senses on overload. He couldn't remember a time when she'd been so touchy feely. However before he could question it she was backing away, convincing him it was just his imagination.

"I've got to go. I have about a hundred calls to make today. If we don't catch a new one today maybe I can get caught up for once." She remarked breezily, apparently completely unaffected by the contact, unlike himself. When he stood there dumfounded she smiled then turned to leave before quickly spinning back around and asking, "Hey, do you want to grab lunch today?"

The question caught him off guard. While it wasn't unusual for them to go to lunch together, because of their schedules they very rarely planned it. He hesitated too long thinking.

"Hotch, if you can't do lunch that's okay. I'll talk to you later." She sauntered away with a soft smile.

He frowned as he watched her move gracefully back to her desk.

"Nice view." Rossi said, interrupting his interlude.

Hotch continued to watch her, completely ignoring Dave's comments. "Something's not right."

"You might have a little drool on your chin."

Hotch scowled at him. "Shut up." He unintentionally rubbed his mouth causing Rossi to throw his head back and laugh. "I'm telling you, something's off." He mumbled.

Rossi lifted a brow. "Because she wore a skirt today?"

Hotch frowned down at him, annoyed, but not surprised that the older man had noticed. "No, it's more than that." He looked back to where JJ's desk was and watched as she laughed with Reid and Morgan like she hadn't a care in the world. He couldn't put his finger on it but there was something different, more than just the fact she looked like a model, not an agent of the FBI.

"So go to lunch with her and figure it out." Rossi suggested, having overheard JJ's offer.

Hotch sighed. "I have a budget meeting."

"Meetings were made to be rescheduled." The older man scoffed.

Hotch rolled his eyes. "Which explains why you are an individual contributor not management."

"Eh, I leave that boring stuff to you muckity mucks." He looked at his friend. "So, are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Hotch growled.

"How did she take the news?"

He frowned at the question as he recalled her reaction. "She seemed a little surprised by it." So much so that he almost considered confessing his stupid plot right then and there.

Rossi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe her attire is for you. Maybe she wants to show you what you're looking for is right in front of you."

Hotch looked a little bolstered by the news until he glanced back at JJ's desk and noticed two of the guys from the B Team loitering around it. "Yeah, or maybe she decided that she needed to start dating again herself." He scowled at the sight in front of him and made his way back to his office deep in thought.

He worked through the early morning steadily, filling out reports and responding to emails. He reviewed several cases that his team had turned in and, when one of his peers requested the conflicting meeting be moved to accommodate their schedule, he more than eagerly agreed. When JJ poked her head in his office at 11:45 he was ready for her.

"It's just the two of us today. Garcia was having lunch with Kevin. Reid, Rossi, and Morgan went for sushi and Blake brought her lunch today. She was going to try to hit the shooting range later." She flashed a bright smile at him.

"Where are we headed?" He asked, rising from his chair.

"I don't know, what are you hungry for?"

Hotch blinked, he could have sworn that she licked her lips.

"Hotch?"

He realized that he had come to a complete stop and started moving again, following her through the office, then onto the elevator. He stilled as the elevator door opened and a rush of people crowded in. JJ inched closer to him. So close he could smell her perfume, or shampoo, or some intoxicating mixture of the two. He could also feel the heat from her body as she pressed close to him.

"Any ideas yet?" She grinned up at him.

He was having a few ideas all right. None of them were suitable for the elevator. With other people in it.

"Earth to Hotch?"

"Sorry, I was distracted."

She smiled up at him slyly as if she knew what he was thinking. "Oh yeah, what are you thinking about?"

He chuckled, wouldn't she like to know? No, probably not. "I don't want to bore you."

The doors pinged open and she surprised him by leaning into and saying softly. "For all you know, I might be interested."

He jerked as she floated out of the small space with the rest of the women as he gallantly waited for the lift to empty before stepping out after her and asking breathlessly, "What did you say?"

JJ tilted her head as she looked up at him. "I asked if you knew what you wanted to eat."

"No, not that." He growled. "Right before you stepped out of the elevator."

She grinned, "I don't know, what did I say?" She challenged.

Hotch frowned. Had he imagined it? He barely had time to consider it when she asked.

"Hey, if you don't mind can we swing by my place? I have a run in my hose. I thought I had a spare pair in my go bag but I don't." She ran her hand down her leg drawing his attention to it.

He wasn't sure that he actually saw a snag but he was pretty sure that he shouldn't be gawking at her legs like he was. "Sure, that's no problem. Do you want to run through a drive through, or maybe order take out."

"I've got stuff at the house." She hooked her arm through his, then said seductively, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

He stopped short again. "What?"

JJ frowned up at him. "Are your ears bothering you? I said I have food at the house. Seriously, are you feeling okay?" She placed a soft hand against his brow.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Obviously he was riddled with guilt and projecting. Now his best friend probably thought he was crazy.

"I can drive." She offered.

He shook his head to clear it. "I'm fine, JJ, really."

"If you're sure." She said agreeably, before adding, "You know, it's okay if you just want to lay back and enjoy the ride."

Visions of her moving over him rendered him momentarily speechless then he finally bit out. "You know what? You can drive." He was going to need to practice some deep breathing techniques. It seemed like everything she was saying had a sexual overtone. He wasn't sure why he was imagining it all of a sudden.

"No problem, you just put yourself in my hands. I promise to take good care of you." She winked at him as she led him to her vehicle.

JJ let Hotch stew on the ride over. She knew that her teasing had done its job. He was definitely not as immune to her as he led her to believe. The thought thrilled her. She placed the car in park and went for the kill. "We're here." Her hand landed a little further up on his leg than she initially planned and she had to bite her lip not to smile when he jumped. "Did you really fall asleep?" She questioned innocently, as if she hadn't just damn near groped him.

"What? No." Hotch looked down at his leg, had he imagined JJ squeezing it? He must have. She wouldn't have squeezed his thigh, not so close to… Jeez, what the hell was wrong with him?

"Are you planning on coming?"

She was out of the car and had bent down to ask the question, giving him an incredible view of her chest.

He didn't say anything. He wasn't sure he trusted himself to speak. He decided to focus on getting up and walking without her noticing the effect she was having on him. Fortunately she didn't wait for his answer as she turned to walk to the door, allowing him to appreciate the gentle sway of her hips. He was so caught up in her backside he didn't realize that she had stopped.

"I have to be honest. I don't really have a run in my stockings." She opened the door and stepped into the house, ready to confront him now that he was good and off kilter.

His gaze dropped to her legs.

"I just wanted to get you alone to talk." She took a deep breath. "I've been thinking a lot about you dating. Why Andi?" She asked bluntly as he followed her in.

He clearly wasn't prepared for the question, especially since she had him so keyed up. "I, uh."

"Don't get me wrong, like I said when you told me, Andi is nice. I like her. I do. But other than the fact that she understands what it is you do and your commitment to your job what do you really have in common?" Her hand was fisted on her hip as she awaited his answer.

"Uh."

Not giving him anytime to respond she quickly added, "Hotch, why wasn't I considered?" Her eyes narrowed, as if a thought just occurred to her. "Or was I, and I was rejected?"

His eyes went wide at the mere suggestion. "What? No. That's just – no."

"No I wasn't considered, or no I wasn't rejected?" She asked calmly. "You know, your criteria wasn't exactly limiting. I'm very familiar with the demands of your job." She shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly. "I'm also familiar with the demands of having a small boy. Personally, I think I would have been a far better choice than Andi."

What could he say to that? He stuck with his previously brilliant response. "Uh…"

"Is it because you're not attracted to me?" She moved a step closer to him.

He somehow managed to stand his ground as she approached him. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to answer that question."

"It's a fairly simple question, you're either attracted to me or you're not?" She asked. "Maybe there was some additional criteria I wasn't made aware of. Your last girlfriend was a brunette, maybe you have a thing for brunettes?" She raised a brow in question.

Hotch blinked at her. "Wait a minute. So…are you offended that I didn't ask you out?"

JJ didn't hesitate. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. Why didn't you ask me out?" She demanded.

He didn't' expect her to be so direct or honest. "But…"

"But what?" She asked with a sigh.

"It's just…"

"Just what, Aaron?" She demanded, her face a mixture of hurt and anger.

He stared at her for a long minute, his mind racing with the events of the day leading him to one shining revelation. "You have been flirting with me! I wasn't imagining that!"

JJ let a sly smile grace her lips. "I'm just trying to find out why I wasn't a candidate. I wasn't sure you were aware that I was a woman. I just wanted to make sure." She lifted a slim shoulder in a shrug.

"I have always been acutely aware of that fact." His slow perusal of her indicated as much.

"Well, I guess I'm glad for that much." She inched a little closer. "So tell me why is it that you want to date Andi?"

"I don't want to date Andi." He admitted softly, stepping closer to her.

"Then why are you planning on going out with her?" She growled.

"Maybe all I wanted was a response from you?" He said softly.

Her reaction wasn't what he had been quite what he'd been hoping for. "So you thought it would be a good idea to toy with me?" She yelled, hitting him with an open hand against his chest. "Which of you rocket scientists came up with that idea?" She inquired, then continued speaking before he could say anything. "Don't tell me, let me guess – Dave! I cannot believe that you got dating advice from David Rossi. There is a reason the man has been divorced three times."

"JJ." He tried to get a word in edgewise.

"Is this the kind of reaction you were looking for? I thought you had some respect for me. I was foolish enough to believe that you cared for me." Surprising them both, her voice cracked with emotion.

He looked at her tenderly. "Come on JJ, you know I care for you."

"Oh, yeah, that's obvious. But not enough to risk putting yourself out there. No, you had to resort to childish games."

He didn't like that charge as his eyebrow went up. "Says the woman who's been making suggestive comments to me all day."

"That was just payback for toying with my emotions!" Her finger poked his chest.

"Then we should be even." He bit out.

JJ's eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh hell." Going on pure adrenaline alone he pulled the angry blonde to him, his mouth covering her surprised gasp. He worried that she was going to pull away for a half second before her arms twined around him and the kiss deepened as they hungrily explored one another's mouths.

The need for air finally separated them. "Just so we are clear I have a real problem with the idea of you dating any woman that isn't me." JJ mumbled, as she tilted her head, allowing Hotch access to her neck.

"I don't want to date anyone else. It's been you for a long time now." He made his way back to her mouth, pouring all of his emotion into his kiss. "That's why none of the woman I tried to date worked out. I measured them all against you and they all came up painfully short."

JJ stepped back and blinked up at him not expecting his confession. "Oh." Her eyes filled at his admission.

Hotch winced, not wanting to have admitted so much so soon and worried about her retreat. "Listen, I don't expect – "

She couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped. "Shh." She popped up on her tippy toes and placed a chaste kiss against his mouth to shut him up the same way he'd silenced her. "We are so dumb! None of my dates could measure up to you. I was about three dates in when I realized why I was having such a lousy time. But I knew that after my disastrous date I would get to spend time with you so it was kind of worth it."

"Ugh." He groaned, as a new thought occurred to him.

"What?"

"You realize that Dave is going to be strutting around the office like a peacock thinking he's responsible for this. Us." He smiled softly down at her. "There is an 'us', right?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure there was an 'us' before either of us realized it." She giggled at the absurdity of it. "Will's going to be pretty cocky too." She glanced down at her outfit. "He's the one that told me to try to seduce you."

"I knew there was a reason I liked him." Unable to stop himself he gathered her close to him once more; their kissing became heated quickly. Before it got completely out of control Hotch stepped back creating space.

"What's wrong?" JJ asked, reaching for him again.

He intercepted her hands bringing them to his mouth and kissing them sweetly. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong." He grinned at her. "What are you doing Friday night?"

JJ flushed with pleasure. "I don't know. I don't believe I have any plans. Did you have something in mind?"

"I'd like to take you out." He squeezed her hands gently.

"You're pretty fickle these days." She mocked. "I thought you had a date?"

"Only if you say yes." He smiled, then admitted, "I never actually asked Andi out. I haven't spoken to her in years."

Hotch was watching her intently as he waited for her response. JJ couldn't help the flutter of anticipation that filled her. "It so happens that this is Henry's weekend with his dad. Maybe I could cook for you?" She offered sweetly.

His left hand lifted to her face and he cupped her cheek. "We could do that, yes, but I have a feeling that we'd forgo dinner and skip right to desert."

JJ sighed and nestled into his palm. "And that's a problem?" She grinned at him. "We've been dating for months." She said cheekily.

He couldn't help leaning in and kissing her once more before saying, "I made a slight misstep by not coming right out and talking to you and telling you how I felt. Fortunately for me you are so much smarter than I am so this little game didn't go on for long and it didn't go awry. I care about you, JJ. I want to have a relationship with you."

"So are you saying don't want to sleep with me?" She teased.

He gave a deep chuckle. "Oh, no, I do. Desperately. But I've discovered that I want so much more than that." He looked at her earnestly. "It matters that I do this right."

His sincerity made JJ smile. "I always forget that you are a southern gentleman."

He snorted. "I wasn't thinking very gentlemanly thoughts earlier."

"Really?" She asked, intrigued by the statement.

He gave her a heated look. "Yeah, we're going to revisit your comment about me just laying back and letting you take care of me."

JJ blushed at the reminder of her flirtatious teasing. "I don't think I actually said that."

Hotch raised a brow, "I might be paraphrasing but it was pretty darn close. You play the role of seductress very well."

JJ smiled, then said with some regret. "I wish I would have tried something a lot sooner."

"We weren't ready." Hotch told her good naturedly. "Honestly when Rossi came to my office and laid out his plot I thought he was nuts."

"So why did you go along with it?" JJ wondered.

"Because as crazy as I thought it was, I couldn't help hoping that there was a kernel of truth to it." He pulled her close, thrilled when she looped her arms around his neck. This time when he kissed her it was softer, more reverent.

"Aaron?" JJ said, as his lips cruised up her neck.

"Mmm?" He responded hotly near her ear.

"You know how much I admire you and respect your judgment." She shivered as he nipped her ear.

Hotch puzzled at her not quite romantic comment, wondering where she was going with it. "Uh huh." He remarked, still contently nuzzling her neck.

"Relationships require compromise." She informed him sagely. "Especially when you have a difference of opinion." She commented with a throaty sigh.

Hotch leaned back and looked down at her in confusion, wondering what he could have possibly done wrong already.

JJ placed her hands on his face and kissed him softly, wanting to ensure him that there was nothing wrong. "We are eating in on Friday night." She informed him breathlessly.

Grinning with relief, Hotch conceded happily. "Make sure it's something that can be reheated." He advised huskily, as his lips claimed hers once more.

The End.

Thank you for reading. A big thanks to those of you that left feedback and/or followed the story. I really appreciate the kind support!