Unfinished Business    part 4 B

Livvy

Headers in Part 1

Rating: NC-17

~~~~~~~

Lindsay is almost at the final stall before she sees Bobby approaching her, "Miss me?" he asks as he reaches her side.

Smiling at him, she says, "Not at first, but I'll admit that I'd started to wonder if you were ever coming back."

Taking a few of the bags from her, he moans, "Did you leave anything for the other people to buy?"

"You'll like what's in this one," she says lifting one bag.

"I will?" he asks, intrigued.

"Yup... it's lunch," she grins at the disappointed look on his face.

Bobby remains on his best behaviour as he waits for her to look at ALL the items in the next stall. She looks up at him, sees him shuffling his feet back and forth while staring at the activity surrounding him in a totally disinterested way and decides that he's been generous enough and she won't keep him waiting any longer. She quickly makes a show of glancing at the last stall, then walks to his side and says, "All done." His relief is palpable and she kisses his cheek, thanking him for his patience.

"Anytime," he assures her before saying, "You said something about lunch?"

Lindsay pauses and looks around at their surroundings, finding something that she likes, she says, "Bobby, why don't we eat in that park over there."

"Okay... but... ah?" he lifts his overladen arms.

"Car," she nods and they walk in that direction, depositing all but the food there.

"Anything for me in there?" Bobby asks as he closes the car door.

"Maybe," she grins and begins to walk away.

"For you to know and me to find out, right?" he says following her.

"Exactly."

Bobby smiles and after a few steps catches up to her. They walk in silence a few steps more and then he turns and says, "Okay, twenty questions, animal, vegetable or mineral?"

"Bobby!" she laughs, "Yes, I've just locked an animal into our car."

"Well, it could be an animal product, leather belt? Suede... something? Leopard skin thong?"

"Dammit, Bobby, you guessed," she grins at him.

"Oooh," he says acting delighted. They walk a few more steps before he says, "So, are you going to tell me?"

"Nope."

"Am I going to like it?"

She laughs but doesn't answer, merely continues walking.

"Lindsay!" he whines.

She stops and turns to look at him, "What's the matter, Bobby? Don't you like surprises? Don't you like being kept in the dark, not knowing what's going on? Don't you trust me, Bobby?"

Bobby grins, realizing that he'd asked for this treatment. "I told you eventually," he pouts, hoping it will work.

"Five... Days... Later!" she reminds him.

"Yeah... well..." he says in his defense.

"So," Lindsay grins, "I'll tell you on Friday." She begins to walk again, smiling as she waits for his reaction.

"Hey, that's six days," he complains.

"Tough!" she retorts.

Bobby watches her determined walk, loving the spring in her step. Of course, what she forgets is that seeing her like this just inspires him to work even harder at driving her crazy - God, she's adorable when she's feisty. Bobby ambles slowly behind Lindsay, enjoying the scenery; what's not to love? Her legs are smooth as silk, magnetically so, his hands and mouth are drawn to them, desirous of them, longing to travel over them, from the tips of her toes all the way up to the valley he calls home. If he could live between her thighs he happily would; there's no place he'd rather be.

Watching the sway of her hips as she walks away, the rhythm that the hem of her dress swings to is mesmerising. Like a red rag to a bull it sets all of his senses on full alert. The resident Obnoxious Child in his mind begins taunting in a sing-sing voice, 'I know what's under there and you're not gonna get it!' Fighter Bobby, who's up for any challenge, narrows his eyes, zeroing in on the target determined that he will, 'get it.' Romantic Bobby stands behind him whispering sweet suggestions only to be pushed away by Caveman Bobby who says we've got the girl already we don't need any of that mushy crap. Romantic Bobby's feeble protests go unheard as the crowd starts a primal chant. Lustful Bobby, who's been asleep all morning, is woken by the chanting and rushes to the fore, determined that if there's a job to do then he's their man. When he sees what's caught their eye his knees go weak and, in an attempt to cover it up, he wolf-whistles at her. 'Oh smooth,' the others all say and the fight again begins over who'll lead the charge. Obnoxious Child sits in the corner loving the melee that he's started.

When Lindsay reaches the bench, she turns and sees how far behind Bobby is; as she watches his distracted approach, her hands unwittingly rise to grace her hips, until he mimics her gesture and she drops them again. Having no clue what's going on with him today, she shakes her head at him and turns to set up their lunch. She's just finished laying it out on the bench when Bobby comes up behind her and, grasping her hips in his hands, draws her body close to his. Kissing her neck, he softly says, "It all looks so good that I don't know where to start."

His voice sends her thoughts far from the picnic set out before them and into a far more carnal realm. "Bobby," she whispers unknowingly, then pulling herself together, wriggles out of his grasp, points to the bench and says, "Sit. Eat. Behave."

"You're no fun," he tells her, his eyes telegraphing the falsity of his claim. "So, you're really not going to tell me what you bought me?" he asks.

Lindsay pauses to look at him, then smiles as she says, "No, but I'll give you a clue."

"Okay," Bobby says, pleased that she's not going to keep him in complete suspense.

Stepping towards him, Lindsay hooks her fingers in his waistband, drawing him to her as she rises on her toes to kiss his lips; a kiss that they both quickly get lost in. Once hit with its sensations, Bobby immediately gives up trying to interpret the kiss's meaning; who cares why when it feels this good?

When Lindsay eventually pulls away, she looks up at him questioningly.

"I have no idea," he grins, "Can you give me that clue again?"

She sighs mock-despondently and mutters, "Oh, if I must," before rising again to offer him a longer deeper explanation. This time her arms drape around his neck and, when the kiss ends, she doesn't pull away, but whispers, "Any guesses yet?"

"Sorry to say, but, no," he replies.

"Yeah, you look sorry too," she grins, her eyes dropping to his lips, hers are tempted to return to that succulent spot but, taking a deep breath, she finds the resolve to pull away. As her hands slide from his shoulders down his body, she whispers, "C'mon, let's eat."

Bobby nods and they take their seats either side of the mini-picnic. It doesn't take Bobby long to get into the spirit of the occasion and begin devouring everything in sight. In the hopes of slowing him down, and giving herself time to catch up, Lindsay asks, "What took you so long, I was expecting you back at least an hour ago."

"I remembered the photo and decided to see if there were anymore where that came from."

"Were there?"

"Yeah four." He grins and, wiping his hands on a napkin, reaches for the jacket resting beside him; from its inner pocket, he draws out the photos and passes them to her.

While Lindsay looks at the first photo, she sees Bobby reach for more food and smiles at the fact that her plan has just backfired on her. Lifting the photo so that he can see it, she smiles at him.

Bobby rolls his eyes, laughs a little before grumbling, "Good blackmail material in that one."

"You're cute," Lindsay assures him.

"I'm naked."

"You're a baby!" she laughs. When he merely shrugs, she puts that photo down and looks at the second. Bobby groans upon hearing her delighted, "Aww!" Smiling at him, she faces it towards him and asks, "How old?"

"Maybe, four."

"And what are you asking Santa for?"

"A little Lindsay to play with."

"Liar," she laughs and holds up the third, "What about this one?"

"Mmm, I don't know, eighteen or nineteen, I guess."

"Too cool for photos."

"Yeah," Bobby laughs.

When she looks at the last photo, she feels her heartbeat speed up, she looks at the face of a boy who's trying so hard to be a man, she can see, behind the defiance in his eyes, his fear of losing the woman beside him. Knowing that that fear had been realized, that all his hopes and prayers had not prevented that child from losing his mother - from suffering a loss from which he is yet to recover - Lindsay sees the pain in this simple photo and pauses before looking over at Bobby. Although, to an outsider, his face may appear relaxed, she can see the tension in his eyes. As much as she wants to ask him about this photo, she knows that the time isn't right and backs off; she won't press him to talk about his mother when he so obviously isn't ready to. It's enough that he's shown her this photo, he's shown her a part of his story, as much as he can, for now. For Bobby, this was a big step, and knowing him as well as she does, she can appreciate how hard this is for him and knows when she has to give him time.

Handing the photos back to him, she smiles and says, "Thank you."

She sees relief flash over his face, before he's able to school it back into its normal nonchalance. Smiling, he rests back into the seat, stretching his legs out before him and crossing his arms behind his head. Sighing contentedly, he says, "Beautiful day, huh?"

"Spectacular," she agrees, before reaching out and taking some more food. They're finished eating and just relaxing in silence when music blasts unexpectedly through the air. They look at one another, then back towards the marketplace where the sound seems to be coming from. Unable to see beyond the stalls, Lindsay stands up on the bench, hoping for a clearer view, "There's a band," she says, looking down at him and he smiles at the delight on her face.

"Want to go have a look?" he asks.

She shakes her head no, saying, "I like it here, just us..." a squeal interrupts her as a group of children run past, "and them," she laughs. She sits on the back of the bench, and Bobby, pushing the remnants of their lunch away from her bare feet, makes room so that he can sit in front of her. Her arms find their way to him, brushing through his hair and massaging along his shoulders before coming to rest around his neck as they sit listening to the music.

"Beautiful day," she hums after a long moment of silence, "Such a beautiful day."

They listen to the music in silence, enjoying being out in the fresh air, being together and being relaxed. It feels good to have nothing to do for a change, to not have to steal precious minutes in order to be together, to not need to keep an eye on the time knowing that they'll have to rush back to work, or to be alert and ready for a phone call that will drag one or the other of them away. Today they have nowhere to go and nothing to do but whatever their hearts desire, and right now, they want nothing but to sit, hold, listen and enjoy.

When a breeze blow up and scatters the wrappings from their lunch, Bobby quickly rises and picks them up, bags them all before walking the short distance to throw them in a rubbish bin. He smiles as he walks back towards Lindsay, but as she's sitting with eyes close, absorbing the music, his smile goes unseen. As he draws near, she opens her eyes again and returns his smile. Bobby holds out his hand in invitation for her to dance with him. She laughs, thinking that he is joking, but his hand remains insistently outstretched. Uncertainly she reaches out and takes it, standing on the bench she looks down at the pleased expression on his face and wonders who this man is standing before her.

"I'm not wearing shoes," she reminds him as he lifts her down from the bench.

"You can stand on my feet," he tells her.

Lindsay laughs, "I was more worried about you standing on mine."

"Oh," he gasps, "As if I'd do such a thing, have a little faith."

Lindsay smiles as Bobby takes her hand in his, he holds it close to his heart as he wraps his other arm around her waist, "Ready?" he asks, after she has placed her hand on his shoulder.

Lindsay nods as words are buried someone deep below the butterflies that have taken residence in her stomach.

"Follow my lead," he reminds her as guides her forwards.

Laughter helps her words escape as she says, "That's why you like dancing, isn't it? You get to be the boss."

"Only time ever," he teases, "I've got to take it where I can get it."

"I still think that the girl should be the one who leads."

"Yeah, well, tough," Bobby says dipping her, as he looms over her he says, "Who's in charge?"

"You," she laughs and he raises her back up.

Lindsay rests her head on his chest, besides their clutched hands, and lowers her arm to encircle his waist. They sway together more than dance, sinking into the slow rhythm of the music and the warmth of the day.

When the song ends it is replaced by a faster one, they look up at one another and smile as they shake their heads. As one they turn and walk back to the bench. This time, Lindsay sits against Bobby's chest, his arm drapes over her shoulder and his hand joins with hers. It feels wonderful, enclosed in his delicious heat, and Lindsay sighs with contentment as she closes her eyes, taking all of the sensations in.

When the song changes again, Bobby rocks her a little as he says, "Your turn."

Confused Lindsay looks up at him and asks, "What do you mean? My turn for what?"

"Last night we made a deal, story for story."

Lindsay smiles as she remembers that shortly after that they had been too preoccupied with seduction to share any stories. He has well and truly made up for it today though, so she cannot deny that she owes him one in return. "My first love?" she asks, verifying if that is what he wants to hear.

Bobby shrugs, and Lindsay knows that he doesn't want to pressure her into a story that she doesn't want to share. She's quite comfortable talking to him about this though, so, running her hand along his arm, she relaxes against him again as she whispers, "The first boy that I fell madly in love with, was Kip Johnson."

"I hate him already," Bobby declares, then derisively groans, "Kip? What sort of parents would name a kid, Kip?"

"Bobby!" Lindsay laughs, "If you're just going to interrupt, I'm not telling you a thing."

"I'll be quiet," Bobby promises, while his face offers no sign that he intends to behave.

Nodding, Lindsay thinks back, trying to decide what could interest him about this story.

"Did you..." Bobby starts to say, then shaking his head, says, "Never mind."

Grinning, Lindsay sits up so that she is facing him as she asks, "Are you asking, did I sleep with him?"

"Yeah," he answers sheepishly.

"God, no. Bobby, it was scandalous enough without adding sex to the equation."

"Scandalous? Do tell?" he says with a leer.

"It was high school, he was a senior, I was a freshman."

"Ooh, Lindsay, that's practically illegal," Bobby teases, earning him the evil eye from Lindsay. He leans forward and kisses away her aggravation before sitting back up and encouraging her to continue.

"Well, it was nefarious for me," she assures him, "and my imaginings were decidedly illicit even if my actions weren't."

Knowing that his teasing has unsettled her, and not wanting her to stop talking, Bobby nods, drawing her back towards him, he gives her a hug and hopes that she'll continue her tale from within his arms. 'I will be quiet, I will be quiet, I will be quiet,' he tells himself. He smiles feeling her settle in against him.

"I wasn't popular at school, I didn't even really want to be, I was happy being the mousy girl who spent all of her free time in the library."

"Not mousy, studious, you couldn't be mousy if you tried."

"Whatever," she grins at Bobby, pleased with his comment, and makes a mental note to burn her high school yearbooks before he ever gets a look at them. Seeing him nod for more, she continues her story, "I knew what I wanted from life, Bobby, and I was prepared to do the work that was needed to get it. I had my ambitions so the fact that boys didn't notice me wasn't much of a concern to me."

"They noticed."

"What?"

"They noticed you, the boys wanted you but you were the one too focussed to notice them. You just didn't look beyond your books to notice the string of broken hearts that you were leaving behind. No matter how hard they tried to get you to see them, you remained oblivious to them, thereby making them want you even more."

Lindsay sits up and smiles at him, she runs her hand along his arm as she asks, "What was her name?"

"Whose name?" Bobby asks confused.

"The 'studious' girl that you had a crush on."

Bobby laughs and leaning forward, so that he's almost nose-to-nose with her, says, "Lindsay. Her name was and is, Lindsay." He shakes his head as he asks, "You have no idea do you?"

She stares at him, a little in disbelief at the thought that he'd ever thought she could be oblivious to him. "Bobby, I always noticed you."

"Yeah, but how long did it take you to admit it?"

Seeing his point, she smiles as she asks, "To you or to myself?"

He kisses the tip of her nose, then leans back against the seat again, his face is thoughtful, for a moment, before he turns to her and asks, "Was loving me that terrible a prospect?"

"God, yeah!" Lindsay sighs and returns to resting against his chest, hoping that her action will take the sting out of those words. Her arm wraps around him as she says, "Bobby, it was not part of my plan. I had my life all mapped out, a long list of career goals, of where I wanted to be in five years time, in ten years time... but I'd never factored you into it. Yes, I had anticipated falling in love with someone, I hoped to, it was a part of my plan but I had no idea what love would be like. How I felt about you terrified me, it was so unexpected, so exciting and so dangerous."

"Dangerous? How? Is this like what you were saying yesterday? That you have to trust that I won't hurt you?"

"No, that's my parents, I've always known that I could trust you. For me, what was dangerous was the way that I felt. I knew that, if I let myself, I could get lost in you. I'd never felt anything so strong before and I didn't know how to deal with it... I didn't know how I could be who I wanted to be if I allowed myself to feel the way that I did about you... it would change everything," she rises enough to look at him, "Denial was the only way that I knew how to cope, but I did notice you, I just tried hard not to."

"But you couldn't resist my charms."

Lindsay grins, "Yeah, something like that."

"So, Kip and I are prestigious company," Bobby says, when Lindsay gives him a warning look, he grins and asks, "So, what did he do to gain notice from that studious freshman?"

"Well, as I said, I spent most of my time in the library and so did he."

"He was a nerd?"

"Bobby!" she complains, giving him a little jab with her elbow.

In apology, he snuggles in against her, saying, "I'll behave, I promise."

Lindsay gives a little snort of disbelief but continues anyway, "We were both usually the only ones still in the library at the end of the day; we'd only leave after being kicked out because it was closing time. One day, he asked me if I wanted a lift home. I told him that I didn't because it was only a short walk. That wasn't the real reason that I'd said no, though; back then my parents were still both working and so they were happy for me to stay a little later at school rather than come home to an empty house but I knew that if they caught me coming home in a car with a boy they'd soon put an end to it. Plus my brother would give me hell, teasing me relentlessly about him." Bobby gives a little laugh which Lindsay joins in on. "For some reason the men that I love most are infuriating teasers," she complains.

"Was Kip?"

"Actually, no. He was very serious, very intense... or so I thought, but then I was a little in awe of him. He was very good looking, mature... well, I thought so at the time, anyway. He started sitting closer to me, we didn't talk much but we were comfortable around one another. One day he asked my opinion on what I was studying, I gave him the standard text book answer but then he said, 'No, but what do you think?' No one had really ever asked me something like that before and I was ready to brush him off but he had the kind of eyes that it is hard to say no to, I found myself suddenly discussing it, not from what I knew but from what I felt, and he listened when I talked, it was... wonderful. He made me feel like I was..." she pauses and shakes her head, "I don't know, like I was someone, I was my own person," she looks across at him, and frowns, "Sorry, I'm not making any sense."

"No, you are, I know what you mean," Bobby assures her.

"You do?"

He nods and says, "So, what happened?"

Lindsay looks at him, sees in his curiosity that he really does understand and finds herself relaxing into the tale, finds herself enjoying talking of it, offering this part of herself to him. She plays with his fingers as she leans against his shoulder and talks, "Well, one night it was really wet, it was freezing cold rain, and he said that he wouldn't take no for an answer because I couldn't possibly want to walk home in that. To be honest, the prospect of doing so didn't thrill me either, so, I let him drive me home... well, not home exactly, I figured that with it being so wet my brother may have come home early so I made him stop one street away so that I could walk the rest of the way home. It became habit after that, he'd drive me part of the way home, we'd sit in the car and talk for a while and then I'd walk the rest of the way. To start with, we talked about school and what we were studying but eventually it became less about books and more about ourselves. I liked him, he was so easy to talk to and so interested in what I had to say."

"So, all you did was talk?"

Lindsay turns and smiles at him, amused by the incredulity in his voice. "You're such a man," she teases.

He chuckles and says, "I'm just asking, I mean, it's fine if that's all that you did, I'm just saying..."

"It's boring?"

"No, actually I like the fact that you didn't, one less guy that I have to resent..."

"Well, bad luck, Bobby, because eventually we did do more than ~just~ talk."

"Damn," he groans.

Lindsay's eyes drop down as she smiles and becomes lost in her memories, her eyes raise again to Bobby's after he gives her a playful nibble to remind her that he is there and waiting to hear more. "One day he lent across and kissed me good-bye, nothing spectacular, just a totally chaste peck on the cheek." Bobby smiles at her and Lindsay feels color rising in her cheeks over the thought of telling him this, "The next day I was so embarrassed."

"Why?"

"Because... because I couldn't stop thinking about kissing him... because I'd barely slept from thinking about him."

"Ahhhh," Bobby says, then adds, "Can I tell you again how much I hate him?"

Lindsay playfully slaps him, she knows that he's only teasing her and is loving the cheerfulness in his eyes. "I almost refused when it came time for him to drive me home because I'd felt myself blush every time he'd looked at me. For the first time I felt uncomfortable around him... I went with him but only because I didn't know how to excuse saying no, how to explain that just being near him was unsettling because I couldn't stop my mind from wandering. We drove in silence, then we sat in the car in silence and it was horrible, excruciatingly uncomfortable. I was trying so hard not to cry but I could see that I'd ruined everything."

"It wasn't your fault, he was the one who kissed you."

Lindsay smiles as Bobby, typically, comes to her defense. "That's true," she concedes, "But I was the one blowing it all out of proportion, I was the one wanting more."

"You saying that he didn't?"

Lindsay shakes her head as she turns to face him, "No, unfortunately for you, Bobby, he wanted it too."

Bobby laughs, asking, "Do I really want to know?"

Lindsay softly kisses his lips, then whispers, "You just tell me if it gets too traumatic for you."

When he nods, she says, "Kip turned to me and apologized, he promised never to kiss me again because obviously I hadn't enjoyed it. He said that he liked talking to me, that he liked me and had just thought that, maybe, I liked him too. He was so sweet, so concerned about me and... I was smitten, I don't know what I said, I doubt I was in any way coherent because I was so surprised, so excited and terrified but, whatever it was that I stammered out, it worked because he kissed me again... Only this time properly," she grins teasingly before adding, "Tongue and all."

Bobby groans and rests a hand against his heart, pouting miserably at her. Lindsay laughs at him and rests back against his side.

"So, after that, he'd drive me home and we'd kiss... then we started touching too..." Bobby takes a shocked breath and Lindsay smiles. "These were suburban streets, and it was practically daylight, so, in truth, it was all pretty tame stuff, looking back, it was very innocent, but at the time, I'd felt so daring, so adult, so wicked. I think that I was as attracted to the idea of it all as much as I was to him. During the day we'd be strangers to one another, we travelled in such different circles that no one at school had a clue what was going on between us but after school, after everyone else was gone, we'd be in our own little world."

"So what happened? How'd he break your heart?"

Lindsay sits up and looking at Bobby asks, "How do you know that I didn't break his heart?"

He cups his palm over her cheek, his thumb caressing there as he says, "Because I know you, because you couldn't hurt anyone if you tried."

Lindsay smiles at him and wishes that she could be the woman that he believes her to be. She wishes that her motives were always that altruistic. She knows that she too has to fight her demons; she's had to fight the urge to punish and lash out at those she loves and hasn't always been successful at it. He, of all people, should know that and if he removed loves blinders he'd see it. She has to admit, though, that in this case he's right; it was her heart that had been hurt. It wasn't broken though, no, she hadn't committed it enough for that. It had merely been dented a little, hardened somewhat and made more wary of offering itself again. An attitude that had been reinforced with each future letdown and that is only now wearing off as she offers it to Bobby and experiences the wonder of having her heart accepted by him.

With a sigh she turns, lays her legs across Bobby's lap and rests her head against his chest. His arm reaches behind her, cradling her as his lips press a soft kiss to her temple. Taking his hand in hers, she plays with it as she speaks, "I know it was crazy to ever consider it, but I let myself hope he'd ask me to the prom. He never did though and for the month before school ended, he just... he was busy with exams, we both were and we never saw each other again, then he'd graduated and was gone."

"Did you miss him?"

"I missed having someone interested in what I thought, I missed sharing ideas and having someone debate things with me, someone who had been prepared to see me as just me. My family... I was their baby girl or their baby sister, they couldn't seem to remember that I was a person too, that I was growing up and had opinions of my own. They were so used to saying, Lindsay do this, or Lindsay do that, that they never stopped to ask what it was that I wanted."

"I bet it was a surprise when their baby girl announced that she was going into law."

"You could say that," Lindsay laughs, "they were worried. My dad said that he knew that I could do it, he knew that I had the intelligence to get there but, even so, he tried to talk me out of it, he didn't think that it was right for me..."

"Yeah, well, you proved him wrong."

"Maybe..." Lindsay says listlessly.

"What do you mean maybe? You did," Bobby assures her.

Lindsay sighs, then sitting up a little says, "He said to me, 'You're my sweet girl and you have a wonderful heart which is only going to get trampled on if you take that path.' He went on to tell me that to succeed in law I'd have to be ruthless, to succeed as a women I'd have to be doubly so and that is what he didn't think I had in me... He said that the constant struggle that this career would be would wear me down. He was afraid for me, afraid that I'd get myself hurt, that I'd get in over my head... he was right to be afraid."

"No, Lindsay..."

"Yes, Bobby, you know that it's true." She looks directly at him and says, "I love this job, I'm good at it but you know that it hurts me too, you know that I struggle with the injustice of it... always fighting the boys club... and then... what we do..."

"Do you... would you... is there something else...?"

Seeing the fear in his eyes, she smiles and shakes her head, "No, Bobby. I've chosen this life, it ~is-~ what I want to do, the rewards are great and I just need to focus on them when it all gets too hard, I need to remember why it is that we do this, I need to concentrate on all of the successes, all of the innocent people that we've saved..." Lindsay pauses when she sees that the concern on Bobby's face has grown and not eased, she sighs, knowing that he's blaming himself for her hardships. "I love my job and I love this life, Bobby, I don't want to change, I don't want anything else."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Seeing him still trying to gauge the truth in her words, she softly asks, "Can I tell you something?"

Looking at her curiously, he nods.

"Bobby, before we got together, I used to believe that... I was afraid that being with you would consume me, that because of you I would lose sight of myself, that I'd be Lindsay Dole, the lawyer, twenty-four/seven and lose Lindsay, the woman, altogether... that terrified me, Bobby."

"And now?"

"Now, now I know that you bring out the real person in me, that being with you makes it easier to be me... What I had feared never happened, in fact the opposite is true, I'm more myself then I ever was. I feel more like Lindsay now, and, yes, that sometimes makes it harder for me to do what we do, but I know that when I need it, you'll hold me in your arms and make it possible for me to face being Lindsay Dole again. And then, having done so, you'll open your arms again and hold Lindsay while she's hurting. I thought that you'd never be able to take me out of that world but I was wrong. Bobby, strange as it sounds, when I let myself, I'm more me with you than I ever could be alone."

"Why wouldn't you let yourself?"

"Well, because sometimes I can be an idiot," she sighs.

"Hey, none of that, that's the woman I love that you're talking about there."

Lindsay smiles and says, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Loving me."

"It isn't like you give me a choice," Bobby says, when her face shows uncertainty, he clarifies, "You do know that you're irresistible, right?"

Lindsay smiles, a blinding smile, and purrs, "You're on the verge of getting so lucky."

"Now?" he grins.

"Later," she whispers, "because in case you haven't noticed we are in a public park."

"Live a little," he says with a wink.

Lindsay laughs, "Bobby, if I touched you here you'd be running for your life."

"Show's what you know," he smirks.

Lindsay leans in close and her hand slides along his thigh. Bobby's eyes open wide and she watches him try to control his excitement and apprehension as her hand covers him. She presses softly against him, her thumb tracing him as her lips whisper against his ear, "Let's go home."

"Ugh," Bobby manages to answer before his lips are entangled with hers.

When they part, their foreheads rest against one another, their warm breaths feeling heavy against their skin as they seek to gain control of their desire. "Did you understand what I was saying back there?" Lindsay asks.

"About going home?" Bobby quips.

Lindsay smiles and rises from the bench, she reaches her hand down, helping him stand and wraps her arms around him when he moves to hug her.

Softly, he says, "I think I understand, and I hope that I help, I hope that I make things better for you."

"You do," she whispers, holding him tighter.

"Your dad was right, you do have a beautiful heart, and you might use names to try and distance yourself from what you do, but it is your heart that makes you you, it's your heart that will guarantee that Lindsay Dole will never become what you fear, will never be just some lawyer who gets people acquittals. Linds, I love you whether you call yourself, Lindsay or Lindsay Dole or Pineapple Woman," he feels her laugh but he's deadly serious, "You might not always like her, but I love Lindsay Dole with all my heart, I admire her courage, her generosity, she's the most noble, moral person that I know and I aspire to be more like her everyday, she..."

Bobby doesn't get to finish because Lindsay, having heard more than she can resist, raises her face to his and captures his lips. Their kiss is full of promise and love, gratitude and veneration. Slowly they separate, they stare in wonder at one another, before, picking up their belongings, they make their way, hand in hand, to their car. They drive home in silence, the short distance seeming to take forever due to their eagerness to arrive.

Though tempted to leave their bags in the car, they pause and, smiling at their impatience, take the time to unload the car. Bobby no longer caring what present she may have bought for him as his mind is focussed on a different Lindsay gift.

Once inside, and with no further delays required, they are quick to return to one another's arms. Joined, by lips, hands and hearts they stumblingly make their way to the bedroom. With their destination in sight the need to hurry dissipates and their progress is often halted by the need to pause and savour the moment, the kiss, the caress, the promise of what is to occur. Bobby has lost his T-shirt and Lindsay's dress is hanging open when they finally make it to the bedroom.

Backing Lindsay onto the bed, Bobby lays above her; kissing her tenderly he rolls them both onto their sides. Holding her close, he runs his hand down her side, along her thigh and, stopping at her knee, lifts her leg and drapes it over his hip, drawing her delightfully against him. Their kiss ends as their groins meet but, instead of the hum of contentment Lindsay normally offers, she winces.

Concerned, Bobby asks, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just a bit sore," she replies, when Bobby's eyes open in surprise, she grins, "My legs, Bobby, from running, I haven't jogged in a while and I didn't warm up first this morning, my muscles are... they're a little sore."

Bobby sighs and looks at her apologetically, before rolling onto his back.

She follows him over, her hands caressing his chest as she assures him, "Bobby, it's okay... I'm fine!"

Shaking his head, he sits up, his legs hang off of the bed and, from over his shoulder, he says, "Change of plans, you go have a bath..."

"Bobby, no!" Lindsay interrupts, reaching out and trying to draw him back down to her, she says, "It's four p.m. I don't need a bath, I need you. I'm fine, Bobby, this is where I want to be, please come back."

Smiling indulgently at her, he lays back down, running his hand over her back until she relaxes, he then huskily says, "You go have a long hot bath, when you get out I'll massage you until you're putty in my hands and then when you're jelly limbed..." he wriggles his eyebrows at her in explanation.

Lindsay has been feeling like putty since Bobby first began using that tone, and, as much as she's ready now, she can't deny that his plan sounds wonderful. "Okay," she smiles, "If you're sure?" He nods and when he moves to rise off of the bed, she draws him back down and kisses him to demonstrate to him exactly how okay with the plan she really is.

Bobby's eyes are barely able to open when she's done with him and his ability to leave the bed has long since disappeared. He lays back and watches her as she rises, when she stands and looks back at him, he mumbles, "Change of plans, make that a quick dip, then get back here where I can grope you and have my way with you."

With hands on hips and a mock-stern expression on her face, Lindsay whines, "Bobby, a promise is a promise."

"Oh, fine then," he grumbles, "have it your way."

"I always do," she teases and bends to kiss him once more before walking away.

When she arrives at the bathroom door, she looks back at him lying there and almost returns to the bed, it's only when his face looks over at her and he smiles that she thinks, yes, waiting a little longer will make the rewards that much greater. She knows that he'll be more relaxed if he's no longer concerned about hurting her and, besides, who can resist the opportunity to indulge in Bobby's magic fingers.

~~~~~~~

Lindsay is soaking blissfully in a tub of bubbles when she hears a noise in the room. It doesn't take a genius to work out who it is, she opens one eye so as to see what he's doing. He picks up her cosmetics case and asks, "Is there anything in here that I can use for your massage?"

"Maybe," she purrs, closing her eyes again, too comfortable to even consider the prospect of what's to come next.

"Can I?" she hears him ask and when she looks over, he lifts the case up.

When she realizes that he's asking for her permission to go through it, she laughs, "This is coming from the man who knew about a bikini that I'd never shown him."

Bobby looks away sheepishly, then back to her as he asks, "Are you mad about that?"

Lindsay sits up a bit higher, looking directly at him she assures him, "No," then smiling adds, "I'm curious though."

"I don't know if you want to know," he replies, looking down at the floor.

"I do, Bobby," she says, even more intrigued.

He looks back up at her and after a long pause he nods; just when Lindsay's thinking that he's about to explain, Bobby turns and leaves the room. Lindsay momentarily considers calling after him but then sighs and sinks back into the bubbles, wondering how a woman as intelligent as herself could have fallen in love with such a strange and infuriating man. But, as insensible as it is, she cannot deny that she has; she is totally, irreversibly, head over heels in love with him.

Lindsay opens her eyes when she hears another noise in the room, looking across, she sees Bobby sit down onto the chair that he's just brought with him. Smiling, she reaches a hand out to him, pleased with his return and again hopeful of an explanation. He looks somewhat uncertain, so she tries to convey with her eyes that whatever he says, it will be okay.

Bobby takes a deep breath, kisses her hand then places it back into the warm water. He moves his chair closer so that he can brush the wet hair from her face, "When you..." he winces a little, "after you left, after you said... that you didn't want us to get married..."

Lindsay reaches up and takes his hand again, encouraging him to continue. Bobby looks at her and smiles, takes another deep breath, then says, "You packed a bag and left, I just watched... I kept hoping you'd stop, that you'd turn to me and say that you don't want to go, that you want to work this out and then we'd sit down and talk, but you didn't... you just left."

Lindsay kisses his hand, mimicking his earlier gesture, hoping to reassure him that she's here now and won't go anywhere unless he is by her side.

Bobby nods and says, "I went into the bedroom, I just sat there stunned, eventually I noticed one of your drawers wasn't shut right and it hit home to me how rushed you had been, how desperately you'd wanted to get away from me. I think it was then that I realized you weren't coming back, we'd fought before but this time... I could see that it was different, that I'd finally pushed you too far. I'm not sure why, but I got up and walked over there... maybe, I thought... maybe it was because that was something that I could fix... I could tidy that, I could make that right, if nothing else..."

He looks across at her, wondering if he is making any sense, when she nods he continues, "But I had to open it to close it because something was stuck... When I opened the drawer, I saw... it was full of your things and... and I knew that the time would soon come when they'd be gone, when I'd have nothing left of yours anymore... so, I looked and I touched... Once I started... I just couldn't stop. I wanted you home, I went through every drawer just hoping... for..."

When he doesn't continue, Lindsay says, "For what?"

He shrugs, then facetiously says, "A clue?" When she doesn't smile at his joke, he shakes his head, "I don't know, I wanted you, I was hoping for you... that you'd come home again, that it wouldn't be the end. Lindsay, I was so afraid that I'd lost you... the only time I've ever been more afraid was when you were..." he shakes his head again, her stabbing being something that he still finds hard to put voice to.

Lindsay doesn't need to hear the word though, "Come here," she says to him.

Bobby looks up at her and vows, "I just needed you home."

"I know," she whispers, and again says, "Come here."

He smiles looking at the water but raises enough to lean over her, resting his hands on both sides, he balances himself so that he can kiss her without falling in. Pulling back, he nuzzles her cheek before standing and saying, "I'll leave you to it." He begins to walk away but Lindsay calls him back.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"When I left... did you hate me too?"

"Excuse me?"

"Earlier, you said, with Tia... you hated her for what she'd done to you... Bobby, I hurt you... did you hate me too?"

"No, no, Lindsay, no," he walks back over and kneels beside the bath, whispering, "I could never hate you."

She brushes her fingers over his face and nods. He looks at her and the words that she was about to say disappear, "I..." she begins, before getting lost in his eyes.

When she drops her eyes from his, Bobby kisses her palm before standing again; spying the cosmetics case, he picks it up and, with an understanding smile, leaves the room.

Lindsay sighs as she takes a moment to just lie back and think about what she has just heard. Friday night she had promised herself that she'd open up to him, that she'd tell him how she feels, yet, another perfect opportunity to do so has just passed her by. When will she find the courage to let the words escape their tight bond? Finding that the bath has lost its attraction, she stands, dries off and enters the bedroom in search of her beloved man.

Placing her hand over his heart, she brushes her lips against his, whispering, "I love you."

Smiling, he says, "Hmmm, if you do now, just wait until these fingers have their way with you."

"How long do I have to wait?" she asks, her smoky eyes pleading for instantaneous gratification.

Removing her towel from her body, Bobby nods towards the bed. His eyes devour her hungrily as he watches her walk over to it, before closing as he takes a deep breath and steels himself to hold back his desire for a little longer; his body is desperate for hers but his mind is determined to see his promise through.

When Lindsay's settled, laying on her stomach, relaxing in anticipation, she hears the sloshing sound of water; alarmed, she sits up fast. Bobby, who had been walking towards her, stops dead in his tracks, a deer-in-headlights look on his face, "What?" he asks, concerned.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

"Uh, massage, I thought we agreed on this?" he says with a grin.

"I heard water," Lindsay says.

"Oh, yeah, I had the bottle sitting in a jug of water to warm the lotion up."

"Oh," Lindsay says, a sudden rush of love for his thoughtfulness runs through her, quickly followed by curiosity, "You've never done that before?"

"Yeah, well, I don't normally plan this far in advance," he chuckles. He sits on the bed and smiles as he says, "So, what, you thought that I was going to throw water on you?"

"No," she says and he laughs at the chagrin on her face.

"I can be nice, you know?"

"So I see," she grins, loving that his nice is a forerunner to his naughty, it's amazing what a little incentive will do to a guy.

He waves his hand in her direction, "Roll over."

"Are we back to the dog thing again?" she jokes.

He holds up the bottle, "Do you want cold lotion, because it isn't going to stay warm forever?"

Lindsay smiles before turning to lay face down again.

"Where's the sorest?" Bobby asks as he stands.

"Legs," she mumbles, her mouth squashed against the bed, "not too bad, just tight."

"Mm hmm, we'll start there then," he says. Lindsay feels the bed dip as he moves to kneel on it, straddling her hips, he begins working on loosening her calves and thighs. "Let me know if you get cold," he says and Lindsay has to smile at the thought that she could get cold while he's touching her like this.

He works her body hard, his fingers digging in and drawing the tension away, his palms rubbing and heating, molding and caressing. By the time he's finished with her legs, the rest of her body is crying out for some of the same treatment, jealous of the attentions being devoted elsewhere. When Bobby turns so that he is facing forwards again, he lays his body over Lindsay's; he leans beside her ear and asks, "How are we doing?"

"Wonderfully," she purrs, too satiated for a vibrant reaction but insistent on showing her pleasure.

"Good," Bobby says, "Now comes the fun part."

"Hmmmm," Lindsay hums, eager for Bobby's hands to return to their task, for his magic fingers to again prove their worth. She's forgotten how incredible this feels, how good Bobby is at shaping her body to his will and is determined not to let so much time pass before he again does so. One day she'll have to ask him where he picked up this skill from, but not today, today she wants a demonstration not a conversation.

Lindsay moans her pleasure when warm hands again press against her skin. Starting at the base of her spine, Bobby slowly works his way up it, massaging the muscles in her back along the way. By the time he arrives at her shoulders, Lindsay is languidly loose all over and barely aware of her own presence in the room. Her whole universe exists in the skin under his kneading palm and his dancing fingers. His manipulations of her neck feel divine and she doesn't remember ever feeling this free of tension before, this totally and utterly relaxed. Cognisance is slowly drifting from her, seduced by Bobby's ministrations. Bobby works over her right shoulder, moving her arm out away from her body so that he can work his way down it. She thinks she feels his lips along her fingertips and contentedly sighs as the last semblance of consciousness flutters away.

She dreams of Bobby suckling her elbow, of sheets rising over her body as he professes his love, his adoration, and she tells him of hers in return. As he lays in bed beside her, she sees the years and the heartache drift away, leaving before her a man with his heart unguarded and an almost blinding love shining from his eyes. She rolls into his arms and brushes her fingers over his face, returning it to that of her beloved - of her beautiful, yet troubled, Bobby. She doesn't want to change the past, she doesn't want to change who he is, she just wants to share with him the here and now.

He smiles at her and whispers, "I'm only a dream, I can be however you want me to be."

"Then be you," she replies, feeling his arms take a hold of her as their souls meld. She looks at him, sees the wonder of him, as divine as the ocean surrounding them. "Just be My Bobby," she whispers, "My Bobby." The waves continue to crash on the shore, the rhythm echoes her heartbeat as it pounds through her veins, "My Bobby," she whispers, again, "Mine."

~~~~~~~

Lindsay wakes as warm lips tease hers. "Oh, did I fall asleep?" she asks, rolling over and sitting up. When she sees that it is now dark outside, she looks over at Bobby in shock, "My God! I did, didn't I?"

Bobby nods, then head downcast he grumbles, "I may have to revise my technique."

"Bobby, I'm so sorry," she says reaching for him.

"I'm no better than your medical student friend." he says despondently.

Lindsay laughs as he falls on top of her, she kisses him and assures him that there is no comparison between the two situations.

When Lindsay's actions signify her intent to complete their original plans, Bobby draws his lips from her neck and looking into her eyes says, "I cooked dinner." Seeing her surprise, Bobby amends his claim, "Well, not cooked, exactly... I ordered Thai, it's waiting for us in the lounge."

"Mmmm, sounds great," Lindsay says and allows him to draw her from the bed. "Why didn't you wake me?" she asks, as she begins to dress.

"I just did," he says sitting back down on the bed.

"Earlier," she grins.

"You looked too peaceful, you're beautiful when your asleep."

Lindsay smiles as she looks over at Bobby, he's watching her and there's something in his expression that unnerves her. She finishes dressing in silence, trying to decide what he is thinking, coming up with no answer, she asks, "Is everything okay?"

"How can it not be?" he replies as he stands.

The fact that he answers her question with a question, a typical avoidance technique, clues her in to the fact something is bothering him, deciding not to push him, she merely shrugs. Bobby smiles and taking her offered hand, he begins to lead her away. When they enter the lounge Lindsay laughs upon seeing the amount of food that he has ordered. "Bobby?" she says with giggle.

His arms wrap around her and he rasps into her ear, "I wasn't sure which of your favorites you felt like having tonight, so, I ordered them all."

Thinking that if the worst comes to the worst then they'll live off Thai leftovers for a week, Lindsay smiles at him, whispering, "You're too good to me."

"I don't hear that very often," he laughs and lets her go so that he can hand her a plate.

Before she takes it though, she looks up at him, her eyes are intense as she says, "I do mean it, Bobby."

He smiles and Lindsay watches him struggle to accept the compliment, making her wonder is it that rare for her to offer one or is it just that he doesn't believe what she says is true. He has no trouble believing the bad things that are said about him, but doubts it whenever he hears something good. Not wanting him to feel uncomfortable, Lindsay turns her attention to their meal. Taking the plate from his hand, she looks down at the variety that lays before her and has no idea where to start. Knowing that it will please him, she ends up putting some of everything on her plate.

"Fickle woman," Bobby teases.

"Why stop at one when there is so much to chose from?" she banters back. When Bobby sits down beside her, she softly says, "Unless you know."

He looks across at her, his brow wrinkled in confusion, "Unless, you know, what?"

Lindsay leans her head on his shoulder, she draws out the suspense as she takes another mouthful of food. Having swallowed, she then whispers, "Why stop at one, unless you know it's The One. When you do, when you find it, then you stop."

"Have you... found the one?"

Deliberately misunderstanding him, she waves her hand over her plate, "Obviously not."

"Lindsay," Bobby groans and she looks at him with a grin.

Running her hand along his jaw she softly says, "I stopped looking a long time ago, long before I ever admitted it to myself... or you." Feeling his arm tighten around her she asks, "How about you?"

"There's only ever been one choice for me," he whispers.

Lindsay smiles, as much over the sentiment as the fact that they are alone and still whispering. Odd as it may be it feels appropriate that their secret confidences are exchanged in such hushed reverent tones. "It's good, knowing, isn't it?" she says and Bobby nods and smiles, humming his agreement.

As Lindsay returns her attention to her dinner, she can't help smiling as the memory of the last time they shared Thai arises. It was the night after she had so eloquently blurted out, "I need more sex." For the rest of that week she is sure everyone blamed her attitude on sexual tension but, what they weren't to know was, Bobby had well and truly eradicated any unresolved sexual tension that first night.

As they'd driven home, he'd said, "We're getting takeout tonight."

Lindsay had been tired enough to willingly agree, the stress of the day, the emotional turmoil that she'd felt following her confession, had left her drained and exhausted. She'd barely listened as Bobby had placed their order until she'd heard him request that they deliver in ninety minutes. After he'd hung up she'd unhappily said, "Ninety minutes, Bobby? But I'm hungry now."

He had turned to her, taken two enormous steps until he was looming in front of her; his body pushed hers against the wall until every part of her had been covered by him. She could feel him hard against her, his breath whispered over her face as he declared, "So am I."

His bedroom voice had set her arousal on full alert; her body had screamed in warning and excitement as her grandmother's words of wisdom had flown through her mind, 'Don't wake a sleeping lion unless you want to hear him roar.' The intensity with which Bobby had looked at her had almost been frightening but, oh boy, did she ever adore hearing him roar. Lindsay had appreciated the wisdom of Bobby's plan when, thoroughly sated, they'd relaxed on the couch to eat their meal before again ending up in each other's arms, driving their bodies to excessive heights.

She had been loved so thoroughly that night that tension had been unable to reawaken, let alone overtake her body. She doubts that it is possible for afterglow to last a full week, but for that week, it had felt like it did. Lack of sex had only been an excuse for her outburst, something to hide behind but what Bobby had done that night gave her the strength to fight the real demons. Whenever she felt her situation getting out of hand, when her insecurity began to take a hold, all she needed to do was allow herself to sink back into the memory of that night and the joy and serenity of it would infuse her, giving her the courage to continue. For the remainder of the week she operated in a typically contradictory way - inwardly joyous and excited, outwardly calm and confident.

They'd talked freely that week, Bobby had made no effort to conceal how amazed he was with her, from her actions on the case to those of a more personal nature, until she'd had to beg him to stop being so sweet or she'd never stop crying. He'd laughed at her, asked if she was PMSing and suddenly they were back on a more normal footing, bickering and bantering and exceedingly in love. This ease had lasted until the fateful phone call that had her flying to California to aid a friend. Somehow, the connection that they'd worked so hard to forge hadn't survived that trip intact. Now, thankfully, they are again finding the comfort, the unity that they've only ever felt with each other.

As they sit slumped on the couch, replete and fatigued, Lindsay says, "Remember the last time we ate Thai, Bobby?"

His chuckle informs her that he does, she closes her eyes sinking back into satiation until she feels him loom over her, and whisper against her ear, "I'd repeat it, but..."

"Your passion is waning?" she teases.

He bites on her ear before saying, "No, my belly is too full."

"You ordered too much food, Bobby," she whispers.

"Yeah, but you ate it."

Lindsay smiles, surprised at how much the sea air has obviously affected her appetite.

"Another night gone without using the bed," Bobby moans.

Lindsay sits up and faces him, "Why?"

He grins, "I'm telling you now, I won't be able to move for hours, I'm here to stay."

Lindsay smiles at him, then leans forward, giving him a whisper soft kiss before saying, "Let's go for a walk along the beach."

Bobby shakes his head, closing his eyes, he leans his head against the back of the couch, saying, "It's never going to happen."

"C'mon," she urges, tugging on his hand but only receives a long exaggerated groan in reply. With a loud sigh, she drops back down, leans her head against his shoulder as they sit in silence. A smile grows a moment before she says, "You ever been skinny dipping, Bobby?"

His eyes open as he sits up straighter so that he can look at her, "You wouldn't?"

"In this weather, no way," she laughs and stands, grabbing his hand she again tugs on it as she says, "But I brought a bit of spark back into you, didn't I?"

"You're a pest."

"But you love me, anyway," she states with certainty.

"Most definitely," he agrees.

"C'mon, Bobby," she encourages and, groaning, he allows her to pull him to a stand.

"The things that I do for you," he moans.

"Yeah, you're a real saint," she retorts, leading him out of the room.

"I'd rather be a sinner," he tells her, catching her around the waist.

Leaning her head against his shoulder she purrs, "That's good to know."

"I fully intend to be, you know, after I..."

"Digest?"

"Yeah."

She turns her face to him and says, "I can't wait."

"Eager?" he asks, smugly.

She reaches her arms up and behind her, draping them around his neck she leans her body into his and hums as he runs his lips along her skin, "I could be persuaded to be," she says noncommittally. Though her voice may be suggesting disinterest, her body and her smile assure him of her true feelings on the matter.

"C'mon," he says, "Let's walk off dinner so I can come back here and feast on you."

Lindsay smiles, then turning to face him vows, "Deal," before kissing him, demonstrating just how easily she could be persuaded to join him in that feast. As her mouth draws away from his, Lindsay feels his contented sigh wash over her lips. She smiles at the expression on his face - his lips are turned up at the corners in a cheeky grin while his eyes are miles away. Silently she takes his hand and together they walk out to the sand.

They've barely walked any distance when Lindsay feels the enchantment of the night fill her. Her eyes close as she takes in a deep lung-full of crisp ocean air, unconsciously her hands drift out and away from her body as she allows the breeze to buffet her, rippling the material of her sweater, chilling her skin as it warms her heart. A soft elongated hum escapes as her eyes open and she turns in a circle surveying her surrounds.

Bobby, having watched her with intrigue and affection, says, "It really is beautiful out here, isn't it?"

Turning her magical smile to him, she nods, "Yeah," and her hand runs along his arms as she adds, "You did good, Bobby."

He smiles, seeing the truth of that statement in the joy in her eyes; pleased, he reaches down and places his hands on her hips, stepping against her his smile turns into a smirk as he smugly says, "I did, didn't I?" He brushes his nose against hers and teases, "And you never trusted me."

"Oh, right," Lindsay laughs, sliding her hands around his waist, "I didn't trust you? That's why, I packed a bag, got on a plane and flew all the way across the country, then got in a car and allowed you to drive me to God knows where."

Bobby raises a hand and gently trails his knuckles down her cheek, delighting in the smooth softness of her skin, before cupping her jaw and lowering his mouth to hers.

"If that wasn't trust," Lindsay whispers after their lips part, "Then I'd hate to see what you could talk me into if I trusted you."

Bobby gives a breathy chuckle before saying, "I love you."

"Good," Lindsay succinctly replies.

"Good?" Bobby laughs, "That's all you have to say to me?"

"Yup," Lindsay grins and turns and begins walking away.

"Lindsay?" Bobby calls after her then hears the lilting sound of her giggles.

"What?" she asks, turning to face him, eyebrow raised and head titled to the side.

He shrugs and mumbles, "Nothing," then takes the few steps required to catch up to her.

They walk for a little while in silence, until Lindsay points to a dune and says, "Do you want to sit over there for a bit?"

"Why?" Bobby asks.

Smiling, Lindsay turns and faces him; he's been pouting a little which has amused her immensely. "Well," she says, "I like being out here, but I'm not really sure you are into this walking thing..."

"I am," he begins to say but she places her fingers on his lips.

"Bobby, I'm just as happy to go sit over there and curl up in the arms of the man I love, as to keep walking... so, your choice? What will it be?"

Bobby's smile returns and taking her hand, he leads her towards the dune. When he is settled, she sits beside him and looks around at their surroundings.

"God, the sky is incredible out here," she says and lays her head on his thigh so that she can better admire the view. "Do you know any of the constellations, Bobby?" she asks.

"Some," he replies, staring up at the sky. Sensing her next question, he quickly looks down, "But only by name, I wouldn't have a clue what they look like."

"Me neither," Lindsay sighs, "Never wanted to until now."

Looking at her face, Bobby sees a hint of disappointment and turns his attention back to the sky. After a moment of silence, he says, "See that bright one, over there?"

Lindsay follows the direction of his outstretched finger, "The one near that group of five, sort of in a triangle?"

"Yeah," he says.

"Uh huh," she hums, wondering why he'd asked.

His hand drops and seeks out hers, their fingers join then come to rest on her stomach as he looks into her curious eyes. "Well," he begins softly, "That's the Star of Lindsay..."

"Really?" she asks, her tone is deadly serious and her look conveys a total conviction in every word that he says.

"Yeah," he says with a smile, loving that she is playing along, "I remember when it first appeared in the sky, I was a kid at the time but I'll never forget all the talk and excitement in the world over the emergence of this exquisite beauty."

Smiling, Lindsay raises their hands to her lips, kissing his knuckles, she asks, "Is there a Star of Bobby?"

"Uh," he mumbles and looks back up at the sky, seeing a small speck of light moving towards her star, he says, "That's it searching for its Lindsay."

"I think that's a plane," Lindsay giggles.

"Oh," Bobby grunts.

"Maybe you're the big one in that group of five," she suggests.

"And who are the others, my harem?" he teases.

"No," she says, giving him a soft jab, "They're our babies."

"Ooh, four?"

"That's what you said."

"Yeah, but you weren't impressed with the idea." He leans down and nuzzles against her, "Are you warming to it?"

"Not exactly," she grins, "But we can start with one and see how that goes."

"Yeah," Bobby says, looking back up at the stars, loving what they now represent, he wonders if he'll have any chance of finding their stars in the skies of Boston. He feels Lindsay's eyes upon him and slowly allows his face to frown. "Hey, how come I'm stuck with all the kids?"

"Helen invited me to go shopping," Lindsay replies with a grin.

"Typical!" Bobby huffs, "I end up doing all the work."

Lindsay snorts in disbelief then says, "Well I carried each one for nine months, the least you can do is mind them for one afternoon."

Their eyes meet in a challenging stalemate, faces grimacing with determination until laughter bubbles out over the ridiculousness of arguing about a situation that isn't really happening. They stay that way, talking general nonsense and silliness, just happy to be sitting there together.

They've been chatting that way for almost an hour when Bobby's hand moves from caressing Lindsay's hip to slide under the hem of her sweater. As it slowly inches over her skin his destination isn't too difficult to predict.

Although already knowing the answer, Lindsay asks, "What are you doing?"

"My hand is cold," he whispers, "Just trying to stay warm."

Lindsay tilts her head back and grins up at him, "All that education and that was the best excuse you could come up with?"

Bobby's smile is his only response as his hand continues its slow journey, reaching the swell of her breast, he gasps, "Ooh, you're not wearing a bra."

Laughing, Lindsay rises so that she is sitting cross-legged and facing him. Bobby frowns when his hand loses contact with her skin and, drawing her closer, he says, "Hey, come back here."

Settling herself into his lap, Lindsay grins as she says, "Why are you surprised? You watched me get dressed."

"Yeah, well, with guys it's like, I see breasts, I see breasts, I see breasts, I can't see breasts, and we don't really get what happens in between." Lindsay just shakes her head at him in amused censure. Loving the expression on her face, Bobby plays up his explanation even more. "We're like those sensor lights, while you're covered our brains are working but show us a hint of skin and the brain switches off and 'Jack,' turns on."

Lindsay grins at the use of the name Jack, or maybe that smile has more to do with the fact that, as he'd spoken, Bobby's hand had found its way back under her sweater, there it entices her body while his voice seduces her mind. She shakes her head again at the foibles of men and whispers, "Tell me it isn't so."

"I could," Bobby says with his lips against her ear, "But I'd be lying."

When Lindsay lifts her mouth to his, Bobby raises her body and guides her until she's kneeling over him. As they languorously kiss, her hands lay on his shoulders while his continue exploring her skin. Eventually, Lindsay draws out of the kiss and, resting her forehead on Bobby's shoulder, whispers, "I love you."

Her soft words consume him with need and he slides his body lower so that his mouth can take over from his hands. Pushing her sweater upwards, he latches onto the breast he exposes and suckles with fervour. Lindsay's eyes close and she feels her body rocking against him as his mouth pulls her into him, again and again. The warm wet tug of him creates a throbbing ache between her thighs. Need, need, need, becomes her body's catch cry as it aches to be touched, appeased, released. The angle of his body offers her no salvation; she rocks futilely against his stomach, needing more, needing firm, hard pressure but not finding it. Her body feels like it's tearing apart, it cries out that it needs to be filled to keep it whole. Her hands are entangled in his hair, holding him to her; they are incapable of tearing themselves from him, even to assuage her need. She feels the tickle of his fingers along her legs as her thrusts become more desperate, her body searching for a deliverance from this torment.

Suddenly he is there, his hand cupping her, holding her together as his palm offers the resistance that she'd so acutely sought. In her next breath, his name is released with a long reverential purr.

Bobby releases her breasts and trails kisses over her skin as he moves towards his next target, he licks her nipple before saying, "I love it when you say my name like that."

As he draws this breast into his mouth, Lindsay lets out a long appreciative sigh, before saying, "Like what? I said it normal."

Bobby chuckles, releasing her breast as he does, adding to Lindsay's distress his hand also moves from her. She moans despondently as Bobby raises his hands to her face, her eyes meet his as he whispers, "I love that you think that," before drawing her towards him for a kiss.

Although they'd been so frenzied mere seconds ago, this kiss is one of pure and gentle reverence, of love not lust. Becoming lost in his flavour, in this new and fabulous sensation, Lindsay is reminded of the joy that she feels while worshiping Bobby's body and her need for release is assuaged, not through action but through a desire to take him home, to take this slow and to make it last. When Bobby moves to roll them over, Lindsay places her hands on his chest, stilling him.

"What's wrong?" he asks surprised by her sudden resistance.

"Not here," she says, smoothing the concern from his brow with her fingers, "Not if you're hoping to get me into that bed tonight, there's nothing worse than sandy sheets."

"Nothing?" he asks, moving her until he's pressed where she had so desperately craved him earlier. The hard heat of him, now cradled against her welcoming body makes them both sigh with pleasure, "God, Linds, are you sure?" Bobby all but moans, wondering how he'll make it all the way home without ravishing her first.

She grins at him, unable to stop herself leaning into his touch, then, coyly, as if the answer is in doubt, she asks, "Are you hoping to get me into bed, Bobby?"

"With all my heart," he assures her, running his hands along her legs as their eyes meet and exchange promises of desire and intent.

With a deep breath, Lindsay shakes her head to gather reason and will, then rises up and off of Bobby. Reaching her hand down to him, she helps him stand. Bobby winces a little as he straightens up and this time it is Lindsay who asks, "What's wrong?"

"Someone let me fall asleep in a deck chair last night," he mumbles.

"Sorry," Lindsay chuckles as she embraces him; her hands rub soothingly over his back while her cheek rests against his rapidly beating heart. "How's this for a plan," she says stepping away, "We go back home, you take a hot shower and then I let my magic fingers have their way with you? I promise that you won't be feeling any pain when I'm done with you."

"Will I be asleep?" he teases.

"Well, hopefully not from my massage but... I'm sure what will follow will have you sleeping like a baby for the rest of the night."

"You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" Bobby grins.

"You going to let me prove that I'm right?" she asks.

"In a word..." he replies.

"Yes," Lindsay finishes for him and, smiling, they begin the walk home.

Arriving at the beach house, Bobby pauses on the first step leading up to the decking when he's hit with a recollection of the events of the previous day. Lindsay, who has climbed the first step, turns towards him when she feels his delay.

"You proposed to me," he says with awe, in answer to her questioning eyes.

Lindsay nods, then stroking her fingers over his face, asks, "It really means that much to you?"

"Yeah," Bobby replies, reaching to hold her waist and draw her near, then, stopping, he asks uncertainly, "Didn't it... when I... for you?"

"Oh, Bobby, yes, of course it did," she assures him. She runs her hands along his arms as she says, "For me it was such a complete surprise, I'd had no idea that you wanted to marry me, that you'd even thought about marriage for us, it was, without a doubt, the most stunning moment of my life..." she grins, a little self consciously, as she looks down.

"What is it?" he softly asks.

She looks back up at him, a flush rises as she says, "I feel like my life is made up of two parts, before you proposed to me and after, that's how much it meant to me, Bobby, how much it changed the way I look at things."

Bobby nods, understanding what she means because he feels it too. "Me too," he says.

"But, Bobby, I guess the reason that your reaction surprises me is... your proposal was life changing for me because I hadn't known that you wanted to marry me, but... for you, Bobby, we're already engaged, so you knew..." She looks at him, suddenly feeling uneasy, "Bobby, you already knew that I wanted to marry you, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he says, his hands move from his sides to rest on her hips, leaning a little closer he adds, "Yeah, I did."

"But?" Lindsay asks, sensing that something is being left unsaid.

He sighs, then says, "But, I guess it was like what you were saying the other day, about giving me an out..."

"What do you mean?"

"How you hadn't wanted to ask me to hold you because then you'd never know if I was only holding you because you had asked."

"You thought I was only marrying you because you asked me to?" Lindsay asks, surprised.

Frowning, Bobby shakes his head, "Not really, but sometimes... sometimes I wondered, if it was what you really wanted, if I hadn't asked... would we...?"

"And now you know?" Lindsay asks, hopeful that he does.

Sliding his hands over her back and pulling her close, Bobby hugs Lindsay tight as he says, "God, yeah, Baby, now I know," he gives a little laugh then adds, "And it's the best feeling in the world."

Lindsay pulls out of his embrace, resting her hands on his chest, she looks up into his eyes and asks, "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything," Bobby replies.

Smiling, she says, "That you feel that way, and the way that you're looking at me..." Lindsay pauses as tears fill her eyes, then sighs and sinks back into his arms, "I'm so happy right now."

"From now on," Bobby says stroking his hand over the back of her head.

Pulling back, she asks, "What did you say?"

"From now on, you're so happy from now on."

"Okay," she says, smiling at him.

Bobby's hand moves from her hair to stroke over her cheek, "You're very agreeable tonight," he teases.

"I know," she grins.

He leans in and softly kisses her smile, before whispering, "Let's go inside."

"Let's" she agrees and takes his hand as she turns to climb the remainder of the steps.

As Bobby follows her up, his eyes catch sight of their destination, of the bedroom and the empty bed that he plans to share with her. He's filled with the desire to forego most of her plan and jump straight into the final part - the part where a naked Lindsay is wrapped around his body, after all that had been their plan five hours ago except someone had fallen asleep before it could come to fruition.

Bobby snags his arm around Lindsay's waist as they enter the room, drawing her into his arms, he kisses her passionately. Lindsay responds in kind and, delighted, Bobby walks them towards the bed as they kiss. It only takes two steps for Lindsay to recognize his intent and, pulling away abruptly, she says, "Oh, no you don't, mister. Go. Shower. Now." Turning him around, she gives him a little push in the right direction.

Bobby ignores her none-too-subtle suggestion and immediately turns back to her, "I'm fine, the walk loosened me up, I don't need a shower," he says advancing on her again. Lindsay skips away from his searching arms, holding her hand up for him to stop. He does with a sigh and looks at her indulgently, "C'mon," he pleads.

Eyeing him skeptically, Lindsay secretly loves that he doesn't have the patience for any delay, even so, she's not going to let him get away with changing their plans. She's been looking forward to this massage since the idea first came to her and she won't let him back out of it, it's only fair, he'd insisted that she obey him this afternoon, now its payback time. Reeling him in, she says, "Okay."

Bobby beams until Lindsay again steps away from him. He watches her walk over to the wall and then, turning to face him, she says, "Right here, Bobby. Pick me up, I want it hard and fast, come on, let's do it."

Unfortunately, Bobby hesitates for a split second as he wonders if his back will hold out. Lindsay scoffs, "Just as I thought," and points to the bathroom.

Knowing that he has lost this round, he pouts, "You win," and walks away.

"You'll reap the rewards though," she promises and he pauses in the doorway to look her way and smile.

Loving that he'd felt the need to try, Lindsay is even more determined to pamper him senseless when he returns clean and limber. In the meantime, she has preparations to make, and she had better make them quick because she is sure that Bobby won't be dallying in the shower. Collecting a jug of hot water, to warm the lotion in, Lindsay then changes out of her clothes and into the gown that she knows stops Bobby's heart every time that he sees her wear it. She knows it because he's told her so, time and again.

Waiting for Bobby's return, anticipating his touch, Lindsay finds her body coming to life. She feels strange, waiting for him with intent in mind; his words from earlier echo in her mind, it isn't very often that they get to plan in advance. Their life is made up of stolen moments, more than romance. With work consuming both of them, so much, it's rare to have time to spare, even for themselves. Planning time just for them is difficult with so much of there work being unscheduled. It's difficult to organize that the criminal elements of Boston don't go and get themselves arrested just as Bobby and Lindsay are settling into a candlelit dinner. It's unusual, too, for their schedules to coincide so that they both have light casework at the same time; it's more normal for one or the other to be working late. For them, time together normally occurs when they fall exhausted into each other's arms at the end of the day or wake with the joy of finding their dream lying beside them. There is little to no planning involved, it just happens when the moment is right and time permits.

The thought that they now have before them a week of uninterrupted time has Lindsay's nerves celebrating and her body tingling with expectation. She stands by the doorway, looking out at the ocean but all that she sees is the myriad possibilities now open to them, all the things that she has longed for them to do should they ever find the time. As elaborate as some of her visions are what she finds that she most hopes for is the simplicity of holding him in her arms, of being two people unhurried in love. Those exciting adventures can wait, she can live without them, what she hopes for this vacation is to discover Bobby, to discover herself and to revel in both the journey and its aftermath.

Hearing the water turn off, Lindsay turns to face the bathroom; she closes her eyes as she takes in a long readying breath, then opens them again so as to see the reemergence of her man. Her fingers are already itching to feel the smooth velvety warmth of his skin, and, most especially, to explore every inch of the back that fills many of the unguarded moments in her mind. When Bobby enters the room, clad only in a towel, Lindsay finds her mouth goes suddenly dry and, without thought, subsequently licks her lips.

Bobby's eyes watch the progress of her tongue and he looks up at her with a lazy smile which she returns. He knows that his towel is doing nothing to conceal the fact that he wants her and he wants her now, but, thankfully, the way that she's looking at him now telegraphs that she has the exact same wish. He wonders what their next move will be, is she going to allow them to skip the next step or will she insist on going through with the original plan. Although he knows what his preference is, he stands back and waits for a sign from her, curious to know what she'll do. She's so unguarded tonight and he finds himself wanting to see into her mind, wanting to learn everything that she'll let him know, and more.

After a long moment of each doing nothing more than staring at one another, Bobby, beginning to feel self conscious, shrugs as he offers her a crooked what-now grin. Lindsay ducks her head and delightfully blushes, then, taking control, walks purposely towards him. Running her hand over his arm, she turns him towards the bed and brazenly says, "Assume the position."

With the tension in the room broken, Bobby barks a loud laugh as he moves towards the bed. He looks over his shoulder and waggles his eyebrows before climbing on. Then, sprawling onto his back, with arms and legs outstretched, he looks up at her with an innocent, is-this-what-you-meant expression. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Lindsay turns and walks to the table to collect the lotion; so, tempted to just jump him now but determined to stay strong, remembering what activity she'll be passing up if she doesn't. Turning back to the bed, she smiles to see Bobby laying face downwards and the skin that she's been unable to keep her mind from obsessing over beckoning her near. His beauty stuns her for a moment as she allows her eyes to take first inventory of the terrain that her hands will traverse. His body appears golden, although Lord knows how considering for months they've been trapped in a Boston winter; a trick of the light, the effect of the stark white sheets and towel, or a sense memory, whatever the cause, it is how she sees him now.

His long lean body is laid out before her in all its gloriously virile, pure masculinity and she delights in every inch of it. Her fingers itch to trail over the sole of his foot, making his body jerk as he yelps at her, to encircle his ankles and wonder how something so slender could carry him through every day. His calves jutting out from his long legs, beg her hands to mold around them, to feel their strength, the power enclosed in their sharp lines and the ripples as his legs shift unconsciously from her attention. The strange mix of wrinkled skin and fragile bone that constitutes the back of the knee, soft and supple when bent, firm and taut when laid out flat. His hair roughened thighs call to her hands, reminding her how good they feel sliding against her skin, the friction of body against body; she shifts as she stands there watching him, her thighs opening slightly with the desire to take him in, wanting his roughness against her smooth skin, wanting to feel themselves stretched to accommodate him, wrapped around him or spread beneath him, whatever, she just needs him.

She smiles as her eyes skim over the towel that is doing little to hide the curves that it covers. Is it her heart or her imagination that fills in all the details that her eyes can't see? She loves the line that signals the end to his thigh and the beginning of the greatest butt in the history of humanity, the firm cushiony softness of him; is there anything about this man that isn't contradictory? Her hands long to hold him there as her body accepts him over and over, his hips pumping, their damp skin slapping against each other, building a friction that soon escalates to frenzy. Oh, yeah, she wants that towel gone and nothing but skin under her hands.

She looks at the hands laying beside his hips, splayed over the sheets palms upward, supplicatingly open to her. She loves his hands, his long square-tipped fingers, so strong and alive, so contradictory; they soothe with baby-soft gentility, they coerce with agile merriment, buoy with generosity, and, strong, hard and unyielding, they demand, control and destroy. His beautiful tender hands have the capacity to turn lethal. What feels like many years ago, she'd held them, bruised and bleeding, after anger and desperation had turned him into a madman and he'd launched an attack on the man who'd tried to murder Jimmy. She'd loved him so deeply, so covertly and his actions of the day had only served to elevate her esteem for him.

Although incongruent with their strained relationship of the day, she'd covered his knuckles in kisses, cried as she had pressed his heated palm to her cheek, looked into his eyes and whispered, "I'm so proud of you." His eyes had skittered closed, he'd nodded, drawn his hand from her and left the room. She'd sucked in her bottom lip, to hold back a tear, and had tasted the bitter metallic tang of his blood; tears had flooded her then at the knowledge that he'd never again allow her to comfort him, that though he'd be companionable, he'd be her friend, his trust was something that she no longer had the privilege to own. She wonders, now, if the reason that he smiles whenever she kisses his fingers, is that he remembers that day when he hadn't allowed himself to enjoy it and celebrates the fact that he now does.

Travelling up his arm, she spies his knobbly elbow and has to suppress a giggle as the memory of the night that she had suckled there arises. She'd always wondered how it would make him feel and had discovered that the answer was goofy. He'd flipped over, drawn her into his arms and had begun a game entitled, 'The weirdest places on your body and the things that I long to do with it.' Each place, each act had become progressively more ridiculous, naked they'd wrestled, teased, tormented and amused for hours. Laughter had filled the room and eventually had exhausted them beyond repair. They'd gone to bed with the intention of having sex but had found themselves making love in an unexpected way, release came not through the joining of their bodies but the sharing of the mischief in their souls. Arousal hadn't even come into it, they'd been too busy having fun.

Lindsay's hungry eyes now travel along Bobby's arms, over the bumps of his triceps to the shoulders that embody his strength. Her mouth waters at the thought of his shoulders, of her lips, breathe, tongue and teeth anointing them, of her face buried in the crook of his neck as she pulsates around him, of her hands gripping his shoulders as he consumes her, of bracing herself there as their bodies thrust harder and harder, as a once slow rocking becomes an almost frantic slam until he gushes into her and she sinks onto him, clinging to those shoulders with her last vestiges of strength.

Lost in her perusal of his body, ironically Lindsay has almost forgotten that Bobby is also in the room and subsequently is startled when his voice breaks the silence, as he says, "Tell me that you didn't fall asleep again."




Laughing, she walks towards him; climbing onto the bed and straddling his hips, she presses a kiss between his shoulder blades as she replies, "No, but I was having a nice dream."

"So sorry to interrupt," he mumbles against the pillows.

Gripping his shoulders in her hands, she digs her fingers in, manipulating the skin, massaging hard. "No you aren't," she says and smiles at his barely contained hum of contentment. Kneeling upright, Lindsay runs her hands down Bobby's back, from his neck to the base of his spine. She sighs with undisguised pleasure, making him wonder, who was this massage supposed to be for, again? As her hands slowly slide over his skin, she purrs, "God, Bobby, I love your back."

Feeling brave today, he doesn't deflect her comment, instead, he asks, "Why?"

Lindsay sighs again as her hands continue to slide over his skin, she pauses a moment to survey the item in question, then trails kisses down his spine as she says, "I don't know, I just do." Rising to again look over him with a critical eye, she breathes deep, her hands are in constant motion as her eyes slowly peruse, "It's... it's beautiful, Bobby, so smooth, so strong, so..."

"It's just a back," he teases, bucking a little and toppling her forwards.

"Shows what you know," Lindsay giggles, righting herself before placing her mouth on the hollow where his spine dips before rising to meet his butt. When Lindsay presses her kiss against his skin, Bobby feels it reverberate throughout his whole body.

As she runs her hands back up his body and raises a little on her knees to press more firmly against his shoulders, he flips himself onto his back and draws her laughing body into his arms, "Enough," he growls, "I need you now."

"But your massage?" she pouts, resting her chin against his.

"Forget it, I'm limber, I promise," he vows and captures her mouth before she can offer any argument. After a long kiss where he thoroughly outlines his case, Bobby slowly rolls them so that Lindsay is on her back and he is draped along her side. Pausing a moment between kisses, he smiles down at her flushed face; she softly giggles and slides her hand to the nape of his neck, guiding him back to her.

As their kisses continue, Bobby's hand glides over her body, from shoulder to knee, exalting in each and every one of the myriad variations of sensations that he encounters along the way. He knows this body so well; even blind he'd know exactly where he is by the way she feels against his hand. Reaching her knee, he begins the journey back up her body, trailing his knuckles along the inside of her legs. He feels her undulate against him, swallows the whisper of receptivity that she unknowingly makes and smiles when her body sinks further into the mattress, her knees parting unconsciously, granting him permission. He feels the heat of her increase with each inch that he travels, pushes the silk from her thighs with the outside of his hand while his fingers, no longer content to trail behind, push forward and lead the way. His first touch against her moist skin has them both gasping in surprise.

"Lindsay Dole, you faker," he chuckles as he discovers the extent of her passion.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" she asks, heavy-lidded and instinctually moving against his teasing fingers.

"You're so ready," he says, slipping slowly over her heated depths, "You'd never have the patience for a massage first."

"Not true," she vehemently declares then loses the rest of her argument when he slips a finger inside. "I... uh... oooh..." Lindsay gives up trying to argue when a second finger joins the first.

Bobby leans more heavily against her, lowers his mouth to hers and whispers, "I think that I'm right."

"Nooo," she declares; as her body adjusts to the sensations of his invasion, her ability to speak returns, "Maybe, just maybe, I was willing to make the sacrifice," she contends.

"Maybe," he concedes, kissing her fully before his hand leaves her body. Kneeling beside her, he grasps the hem of her gown and says, "Up."

Lindsay sits and allows him to draw the material up and off of her, she smiles as she watches his eyes hungrily devour her. He blinks slowly then raises his eyes to hers, she nods and reaches for him as she lays back down. As he moves to lay over her, her hands push at the towel that's still separating them and he bucks his hips allowing her to pull it free.

Now a tangle of limbs, they kiss and whisper, hands and mouths never stilling as the blood pumps wildly through their bodies. Rolling onto his back, Bobby guides her to his hips; her knees drop either side of his body and she trails kisses along his throat. She feels his hot puffs of breath against her hair and lays her body over him before sliding upwards, his happy moans become incoherent babbles and, resting her arms either side of his face she looks down at him and smiles. Stretching out, she covers his body, lays still and waits as his hands act as incoherent as his words, suddenly unsure where exactly they want to be. Lowering her face, she runs her tongue along the curve of his ear and causes the world to explode for both of them.

In the space of seconds, their positions are reversed and her muscles are flexing as they adjust to accept the hot and hard length of him. She feels his slow crawl through her body and calls for more, her hands sliding down his back, grasping him and pulling him closer still. She feels his journey end, deep inside of her, and he pauses, waiting, wanting, as his mouth adorns her face with reverent kisses. She shifts against him, until her body has him where it wants him, then kisses him until neither has breath left to breathe. As he raises on his elbows to look at her, easing his weight from her chest, she takes a deep breath then releases it slowly through a long sigh. Knowing how close to the precipice she already is, she anticipates his movement inside of her and the extent with which he'll make her fly. His name whispers over his skin, as her hands slide up his back, she feels his body vibrate under her hands and inside of her.

"You feel so good," he whispers and Lindsay smiles to hear her thoughts come from his mouth.

As he slowly pulls through her body, then returns, pulls and returns, she feels the insanity begin, "I'm so close," she purrs.

"God, Lindsay," Bobby says in awe, "Already?"

"Have I mentioned... how much I love your back?" she grins.

"Just my back," he teases, then slowly sliding out says, "Maybe the rest of me should leave."

Giggling, Lindsay halts his exit, clutching him and holding him to her, she pushes her hips up rejoining them hard. She tilts her chin to him and, like a magnet, his mouth is drawn to hers. Lindsay smiles as she kisses him, pleased to have his mouth so pleasantly occupied; she's discovered that sometimes Bobby talks too much. Getting her unspoken message, Bobby grins back at her and sets about letting his body do the rest of the talking for him.

Lindsay's hands roam all over him, as she reaches his lower back he smiles down at her and says, "You were right, I'm feeling no pain."

Lindsay hums affectionately, her fingers caressing him, smooth and gently, and then, out of the blue, as he slides out of her she clenches her inner muscles hard around him.

"Ooohohahhh ow," Bobby groans and his head drops to the crook of her neck, his teeth sinking into the skin there as he rides out the sensations assaulting his body, shattering his composure. "You're evil," he whispers into her ear when he has the strength to lift his head. Lindsay grins up at him and, as much as he adores that expression, he wants to wipe that iniquitous grin off of her face. Bobby throws everything into his endeavour to send Lindsay straight back up to the precipice, so that he can watch, with wonder, when she falls from its heights.

As he continues to move within her, he slides his right hand down her body until he finds her wrist, then raises their hands to rest on the mattress beside her head, coaxing her palm to meet his and slipping his fingers between hers. Lindsay smiles at him and he repeats the action with his left hand. With his face now hovering above hers, he stares intently at her as he moves within; watching her face as it expresses every sensation, every emotion that he's causing her to feel. Knowing what it is that he's doing to her, heightens his own enjoyment as emotion intensifies sensation. Lindsay's feet, braced on the mattress, offer purchase to her hips as she rises again and again to meet each thrust and take him in. Consumed by sensation, Lindsay's eyes begin to close as her body moves ever closer to surrender.

"Look at me," Bobby rasps, "See what you do to me."

Her eyes struggle to obey and she watches the sweat sheen building across his brow, the determination and desire etched on his face as he glides through her. His smoky, black eyes impel her not to look away and she feels them kissing her skin, again and again, in the intensity with which he looks at her. She sees in his eyes the radiance that is coursing through his body, the ability, that she has given him, to feel the life and power of every cell, every nerve. Lost in his eyes, she skyrockets from the room, his name catches in her throat as stilted breaths fight their way through. As the room slowly warps back into focus, she feels him struggling to hold back, to allow her to ride out every last wave of euphoria, feels his body working with hers to fulfil her every need. Looking at his face, she is overwhelmed by emotion, and isn't yet ready to move from this time, this space.

She feels his thumbs caressing her cheeks and wonders when his hands had left hers, his tenderness and patience, in the midst of his burning need, brings tears to her eyes; there are words, somewhere deep inside of her, fighting to come out, but, caught in a trembling silence, she speaks them only with her eyes.

He hears her though and nods, "Incredible," he vows as his lips welcome her back, softly, adoringly.

"Yeah," she whispers in return, her listless hands raising to smooth over his heated skin. The back that she loves speaks of his struggle for control in the tensely coiled mass of muscles which she encounters there. Sliding her hands up to his face, she frames his beautiful features in her palms. Their eyes lock and hold, Bobby nods, hearing her unspoken plea - let me do that for you, let me make you fly.

Slowly he begins to move again, watching her, always watching her, soon, though, they're matching their previous pace. Lindsay sees his climax build while he fights to keep it at bay. "Let it go," she urges, "Please."

Decision made for him, she sees relief in his eyes at the prospect of becoming lost in her, his head drops to her neck, it suckles there before she hears a breathless whisper, "Do me a favour?"

"Anything," she promises, sliding her fingers through his dampened hair, playing with the ends that tickle his nape.

"Say it for me?" he says, raising his face to hers.

"Say what?" she asks, though certain that she already knows the answer; memories of that week have been assaulting her since dinner, memories of the deep passion that he'd made such a concerted effort to display, so that she would never again need doubt its existence. Day one had been intensely physical, as he'd shown her what she stirs in his body, but on day two he'd offered her his mind, shown her the way that he thinks, the images and ideas of her that have insinuated themselves into his heart and now claim ownership of it. To learn the numerous ways that he thinks of her had been a pleasant surprise, to learn that a simple word or look from her could set his body aflame had gloriously stunned her. She'd held onto him as he loved her, mesmerized by his passion.

"The cigar thing," Bobby pleads, barely able to form the words, his body slowly shutting down, inch by inch, in preparation for implosion.

Lindsay nods, soothing him with her hands before saying, "Addicted, addicted, addicted! Do we like that word? Addicted!" Her tone is determined, harsh and sneering but her face is alight with a smile as she watches the effect of her voice on him, he is such a strange and endearing man. Now, knowing what her 'work' voice does to him, she fears becoming turned on every time that she enters into a passionate rant.

"More," Bobby grunts, his eyes narrowing, losing focus as his body becomes erratic, pumping wildly, seconds away from release.

Lindsay barely remembers the speech, it had been a spur of the moment rambling that occurred over a month ago. She had recreated it for him that night, almost word for word, but now, time and desire make that difficult to do, she wants to do this for him but doesn't know if she can, until another phase hits her. She smiles at the perfection of it, then, narrowing her eyes in attack Dole mode, she dares, "Go ahead, make my day, it's you... it's you!"

She swallows Bobby's roar as his mouth descends on her, his body convulses in her and she feels him fill her everywhere, their bodies becoming truly one, joining irrepressibly. The emotion of the moment has her again cresting the wave and, although no where near the intensity of the first, she crashes joyously against him. Her body recovers faster than his and she lovingly trails her hands over him, feeling each tremor as it rocks through his body. He rolls over, draping her over him as his breaths heave and his heart pounds furiously. He smiles against her temple when she begins nuzzling against him.

"Insatiable woman," Bobby teases and Lindsay lifts her head and grins at him.

She watches as the life returns to his eyes and, resting up on her elbows, brushes her mouth against his as she says, "I suspect that there may have been more than one big lump in the conference room that day."

Chuckling, Bobby replies, "It was with good reason that my hands never left my lap."

"Bobby," she sighs, "How am I ever going to be able to work around you like this."

"You mean naked?" he teases playing his hands over her skin.

Looking sternly at him she lowers her mouth to bite on his lip, mission accomplished she raises up and rests on her elbows, looking down to him she warns, "Be serious."

Bobby grins unrepentantly and notices that Lindsay can't stop herself from smiling back at him, he loves that expression on her face and is proud that he has put it there. He becomes fascinated by the question that he sees in her eyes, the wonder that she feels knowing he is so enamoured of her. He is, thoroughly and audaciously, and seeks to tell her so. "I swear to God, Lindsay... when I think of you that day, any day, but God, that day especially..." his head shakes as he looks up at her, "My God," he declares, "I'm not turned on I'm ignited."

Lindsay giggles as she lays down over him, wondering if he can feel the heat of her face against his skin. With her cheek laying over it, she hears his heart pounding and closes her eyes so that it's all that she feels. She'd say something to let him know how wonderful she feels because of him, but, words just don't seem to want to arise. She hears Bobby croakily whisper, "I was thinking about you in the shower," and raises up to again meet his eyes.

"Really?" she whispers.

"Ah hmm," he hums.

The lawyer in her can't help but ask for clarification, she cocks her head to the side and grins as she asks, "So, were you thinking about me taking a shower, or, while in the shower you were thinking about me?"

"Um, the second one, you weren't in the shower."

Lindsay nods, then asks, "So, what was I doing?"

"This."

Dubiously, she scoffs, "Exactly this?"

Suddenly energized, Bobby growls at her tone and rolls them over; looming over her now, he says, "Well, I wasn't thinking detail, but yeah, exactly this, you were all I could see, you were surrounding me, my whole world..."

"Like now," she whispers.

"Yeah," he sighs, then lowering his eyes from hers, he moves to kiss the side of her neck, almost smothering his admission, "I do that a lot."

"Do what," she asks, raising her hand to smooth over his neck.

"Think about you... like that."

"Bobby?" Lindsay murmurs, and encourages his face back to hers. When their eyes meet she asks, "You do know that that's allowed, don't you?"

He nods that he does but she sees relief that her permission has been voiced. She sees now how careful he is with her, how vigilant he is against causing offense. "Bobby," she sighs, loving him even more; every minute it seems to grow inside of her, even though she doesn't think that more is possible, it happens time and again. "You do know that I think about you, like that, too, don't you?"

Bobby smiles and, emboldened by her admission, says, "Even before it was... allowed, I did. I tried not to... but I did."

Lindsay smiles, sighing, "Oh, Bobby, so did I."

"Really?" he asks and she can see how thrilled he is by this discovery.

"Yeah, from day one actually."

"Really?" he asks again, his voice now three octaves deeper making Lindsay's insides begin to melt.

"Yeah, although, maybe it's technically a no, because at the time I was thinking that I wanted a guy like you. Once I got to know you better, then... then they became true thoughts of you."

Bobby nods and smiles at her, he rolls to his side, drawing her with him, then tentatively asks, "Was this, were they... was it me, before we..."

"Slept together?"

"Yeah," he nods, self-deprecatingly.

"Bobby," she drawls, "Of course it was," she assures him, caressing his cheek tenderly; again she sees relief cross over his face, smiling, she says, "I loved you before we ever..."

"I did too," he interrupts.

"I know," she smiles, "I didn't know then but I do now."

Bobby kisses her softly, slowly and Lindsay feels a heaviness come over their mood where playfulness had been before. When they part, she tries to return the light to the conversation by teasing, "For the record I could never fall in love with a man just because he is good in bed."

Bobby grins, tilting his head a little, raising his eyebrow in question.

Lindsay grins back at him, decides to draw out the suspense a little longer before she tells him that yes he's good, better than good, phenomenal. "I love you, Bobby, the sex could be mediocre and that wouldn't change... it's who you are and not how good you do ~it~ that makes me love you, that makes me want to spend the rest of my life with you..."

"Uh huh," he grins, still waiting for the punch line, not really needing to hear it but loving it whenever she does.

"But," she purrs, "Having fallen in love with you, Bobby, to then discover that you are phenomenal, well... that was a wonderful bonus."

"Phenomenal?" he mouths, cheekily and she giggles as she wriggles in closer to him, kissing his throat as he rolls onto his back, his hands caressing her. They lay quietly for a while, Bobby on his back and Lindsay draped over his side, she feels him relaxing into sleep and knows she isn't far from it herself. Shaking herself from slumber, she begins to rise from the bed.

"Hey," he says, his eyes opening and frowning at her, "Where you going?"

"I'm thirsty," she whispers, smoothing his brow, assuring him that she's coming back. She laughs at the smug grin that crosses his face and, rising, walks from the room.

Having drunk a full glass in the kitchen, she returns with one for him. He slides up to sit against the headboard before taking it from her. She climbs into bed and curls up on her side, watching him as he drinks, done, he places the glass on the bedside table before laying down and mirroring her position. They look at one another, smiling sleepily, fingers rising until their hands are joined between them.

"Speaking of phenomenal," Bobby whispers, brushing the knuckles of his free hand over her face, "You look incredible," he tells her, as much in words as in his expression.

"The after effects of some good Bobby-lovin," she grins.

"Hmmm," he hums, "If I'm that good maybe I should offer my..."

Bobby doesn't get to finish his suggestion before Lindsay gives him a nipple tweak that has him squawking instead of talking. "Ow!" he declares, rubbing his chest, "Lucky that's useless equipment because I think you broke it."

"Sorry," she grins, "Let me kiss it better."

"Okay," he says, and in case she has other ideas, raises her mouth to his. When their kiss ends, he almost swallows her with his yawn.

She smiles and laying back against the pillow, whispers, "Sleep, Bobby, you've earned it."

He mumbles an agreement as his eyes close, settling comfortably with their hands still joined between them, they soon drift contentedly into sleep, allowing their bodies to recover, so that they can arise refreshed and ready to enjoy another day safe and secure in their love.







    To be continued
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