"I'm getting a new partner. Vinnie's transferred to Narcotics," Alex Smith-Summers told his wife.
"Who?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
"Jake Paton." She dropped the knife. It clattered against the counter. She turned around to look at him with a huge smile.
"That's wonderful!" She walked towards him, exaggerating her normal wiggle just a touch. She stroked his cheek. "But how ever will you stand the temptation?"
"Unlike you, I don't want to screw every attractive person I come across. And *please* don't threaten this one *or* put him through the Xavier gauntlet," he begged.
"And what would *I* get from not threatening him?"
Alex thought quickly. "A happy husband." She rolled her demon-child eyes at him. She straddled his lap and kissed his nose.
"I was thinking more along the lines of…" Click. Click.
"Rachel!" Alex snapped. He pulled against the cuffs. He sighed. "Honey…"
"I can always just scare your poor little Jakey." She kissed him gently and leaned to whisper in his ear. "But then you'll never know how good his mouth would feel around your cock," she purred. "Or see his ass spread…"
"He'll be my partner!"
"So? Papa Remy worked with Daddy Scott, Daddy Logan, and Mom before he started doing them."
"You're family isn't normal, Rach. Come on. Please don't make me beg. It's such a simple thing." He dropped his head and looked up through his lashes at her. Rachel resisted for about half a second, then caved.
"I won't scare him. On my honor."
"Thanks, Wild-woman." She kissed him long and hard. He brought up a hand to hold her close, the open cuff dangling from it. She pulled back as it touched her.
"When did you learn to pick locks?" she demanded.
"Before our wedding."
"Five plus years! And you didn't tell me?" She shook her head. "I wondered why Papa Remy took such an interest in you so suddenly. He doesn't like cops."
"I've noticed." Rachel ran her hands through his hair, ruffling the blond strands cheerfully. She kissed him again, their tongues dueling until he let her take control of it. His other hand settled in the small of her back. Eventually, they broke off. "Anything need to be taken off of the stove?"
"No."
"Good." He stood, lifting her with him. She giggled, then wrapped her legs around his waist. She used her TK to push the footstool out of the way. "Thanks." He laid her down on the bed, toeing off his shoes. She pulled him close by his tie for another kiss. She stroked the side of his face tenderly. She stared into his laughing blue eyes.
"I love you."
"Love you too… when you aren't trying to strangle me." She tightened her grip.
"Don't struggle then," she teased. She kissed him again. //Let me in, Baby.//
//Okay.// He was still not sure what to think of telepathy, but it definitely made things more intense. She chewed on his lip as they parted for air. She flipped him onto the bed, straddling him before his startled yelp finished.
//You going to let me have my wicked way with you?// He flushed, sensing her intentions vaguely.
//I'm game.//
//And tasty prey too…// She kissed him again. //Just sit back and enjoy,// she informed him as she closed the end of the cuffs around the bed post.
//?// She soothed him with gentle stroking down his jaw. She fumbled in the nightstand for a second set of cuffs.
"Trust me," she whispered, locking down his other wrist.
"Always." Her nose twitched, picking up his nerves and his desire. She popped one claw and cut off the buttons of his shirt one by one. She kissed down his chest as she worked. "Rach…"
"Hush." He was still concerned with money. It drove her crazy. She opened his fly with her teeth and tongue. He moaned soft and low as she kissed his now freed cock. //Soon.// She worked his pants down and off. He tested the cuffs and sighed. //It's not that bad,// she chided. And suddenly, there was soft, wet pressure along his shaft. //I'm going to eat you alive.// She nipped lightly at his balls.
He made an involuntary sound in the back of his throat. She soothed the nip with her tongue and warmth flowed through his limbs. He closed his eyes and Rachel smiled ferally . She placed a series of tiny laps up and down his cock, enjoying the little sounds he made. She braced his hips with her arms and a touch of TK, then took him as deeply as possible into her mouth.
"Oh, God," he whispered. //Rach…//
//I know.// She began to suck lightly, moving up and down his cock. He pulled at the cuffs, needing to touch her hair, her cheeks, her lips. He wanted to thrust into her as regardless of her needs as she occasionally encouraged, but she wouldn’t let him move. He bit the inside of his cheek. He tasted blood. Suddenly, she was kissing him again. He moaned as she teased his cock with her fingers. He felt her claws through the fabric as she traced down his arms. The touch was light enough not to cut the shirt, but it stilled him, even as his body begged for more contact.
Rachel looked down at him. His eyes met hers, dilated with pleasure. "Please?" he breathed and she smiled. She licked a path back to his cock. She blew gently across the head which glistened with pre-cum and sweat. Alex licked his lips. His breath came in short bursts. His head tipped back, extending the line of his throat. She swallowed him deeply. He tensed and came. //Rachel!//
He collapsed heavily into the pillow. //I love you, Alexander.// She told him as she swallowed the last of the salty-sweet liquid. She nuzzled his throat and he squirmed under the assault. She giggled at his reaction. He would have blushed, she knew, but there was already a warm flush in his cheeks.
"What about you?" he managed to find breath to say, forcing down his laughter. She *knew* that was his most ticklish spot.
//Trust me. I have a plan.//
//Dear God. I'm in trouble.//
//That's why you've got me.// She unfastened his hands from the bed and locked them instead to her wrists. Alex's eyes widened. She winked and sat up. She moved down the bed to reverse their positions. He caught the hint and moved until he was looking down at her. She caught his hands in hers and brought one, then the other to her lips. He kissed her mouth softly. Then, his lips ghosted down her throat and to her breasts. He suckled on one, then the other until she thought she was going to go insane.
He teased her navel with his tongue, toying with the belly button ring of gold and onyx. Her hips raised, asking for more. He nipped the inside of her thighs, drawing breathless yelps from her throat. He finally tasted her and her thighs quivered with the concentration it took not to clamp them around his head. She guided his hands to her breasts and he caressed her gently. His thumbs brushed across her nipples and she arched. His tongue drove into her with tiny, light thrusts, then taunted her clit for a few seconds.
Her hips started to thrust and he followed the motion. She laid his hands flat to the mattress, covering them with hers. His fingers dug into the sheet as he tried not to pull away from the grip. She tensed and he redoubled his efforts. She climaxed, her body as taut as a bowstring. He continued to lap and nip as she came down. //Damn. You have learned well, Grasshopper,// she told him.
She tugged on his wrists and he slid up her for a kiss. She undid the cuffs and tossed them onto the nightstand with effortless accuracy. They lay cuddled together until Rachel's stomach began to growl. Laughing, they went in search of food.
*****
Jake Paton wasn't sure what to think of his new partner. It wasn't that he didn't like him. That was impossible. Hell, there were drug dealers *in jail* that liked Alex. No, it was just that he seemed too good to be true. And there was no way that half of the stories he'd heard about the man were true. No cop could blush that easily, could they?
"Hey, Jake," Alex greeted with a smile.
"Morning."
"Yes." Jake blinked. "Don't bother sitting down. Capt. Clarke wants us in his office." Jake nodded. He put down his things.
As they picked their way through the shift change, Jake noticed a mark on his partner's wrist. Was that…? Yes, it had to be. But Alex? In handcuffs? It must have been a dare or something. He filed the question away and focussed on the assignment that the captain was giving them.
*****
Alex stared at his boss. He blinked once, twice. Then, he spoke. "I'm sorry, sir. I think I misheard you. I thought you said undercover in a strip club. You said 'mall' right?" he asked hopefully.
Clarke's smile broadened. For Alex, that was damn near insubordination. "No, you heard me correctly. Strip club."
"Bartending?" Alex asked. He was pleading with his eyes now. Clarke shook his head. "You *know* I'm not cut out for anything else there. I drop trays. I got fired three times before I gave up waiting tables." Clarke laughed.
"Ask your wife for advice. Jake, keep an eye on the reverend here. You have to watch the quiet ones."
"I blush easily," Alex tried one last time.
"I will," Jake answered. My God, it's true. He does turn red.
"You'll adjust."
"I'll monitor the wire?"
"In your dreams, Smith. I'm not letting you near the equipment. You'll edit out the juicy bits. Besides, I've seen you fight. You'll do fine."
"You are a minion of Satan," Smith told him. "Oh, God, she's going to…" His eyes widened. "Which club?"
"The Junior League."
"24th and Elm?" Alex asked.
"Yes," Clarke said in surprise.
"Who's the manager now?"
"Mitzy Price." He handed them the rest of the information. "Carlton is coordinating."
"Why us?"
"Consider this payback for covering you during that high school fiasco."
"I'll have you know that her parents *knew* I was twenty-four. And I didn’t touch her until we were married."
"I know that. But the commissioner's office didn't know you back then."
"What are we looking for?" Jake asked.
"Guns, drugs, counterfeit twenties. It's supposed to be a mob shop now."
"Great."
*****
"Alex? What's got you so red?" Jake asked with a frown.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm highly adaptable. By tomorrow I won't even be disturbed by the thought, or the doing. Just the teasing. I'm *never* going to live this down if it gets out to Rachel's family."
Matt leaned over Jake's shoulder. "Just watch out when the blush goes away. That's when he gets so far into character that you can't tell where Alex went."
"Shut up, Matt. Maybe Rach is right. Being a house husband wouldn't be that bad."
"So what's today's note?" Matt asked.
"None of your fucking business, Matt." Alex had already burned it. He smiled sweetly at both of them.
"Notes?"
"Jesus. Didn't anyone tell you about the courtship of Alex Smith-Summers?" Jake shook his head. He looked up raptly at Matt and folded his hands on the desk. "Oh, you'll be perfect for the reverend. Well, Alex's wife, Rachel…"
"Matt. Shut up."
"Why? I've known about her longer than anyone else in the department."
"Because she felt sorry for the rest of you."
"All of us."
"No, you. She just wanted to screw me." Alex's smile was faintly smug. Matt blinked.
"Well what do you know, you're growing up. You should have seen him blush when we first told him that. You'd have thought he *was* sixteen."
"The notes?" Jake prompted.
"Rachel writes him love letters. She sends some fascinating presents too. Tell me, the leather cuffs, were those for real or…"
"I thought I sealed that box."
"Vinnie slit the tape for us."
"Blackmailing asshole." Alex shook his head. "They still live in that box."
"But have they been used?" Matt pressed.
"Ask Rachel. If she'll talk to you after finding out you were just toying with Inez's affections." Matt blinked.
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Who else was she going to call?"
"What happened to getting both sides of the story?"
"Drop the cuffs, I drop the Inez story. Besides, there's always the forms *someone* decided to rifle through my locker to get because he was too embarrassed to ask the ladies downstairs for them." Alex shrugged.
"How did you find out about the forms?"
"I have my ways."
"So what's the assignment, Reverend?"
"A strip club," Jake told him.
"Oh, so he's going to watch over you? That's good. Don't tell me they're going to let him bartend," Matt said in horror. "He waters down the beer."
"Dance," Alex said curtly. "Whoever thought this out doesn’t have a clue about me."
"What did you do to piss off Clarke?"
"Met my wife?"
"He pulled in a six year old grudge for this? Jake, are you that bad of a dancer?"
"Shut up, Matt."
"When does this start? We need pictures, video, audio. I've got to pay off the twins," Matt mused.
"Great. My life is over," Alex said in wonder. "So this is what terror feels like."
"Alex?" Jake questioned as Matt left, chuckling. "Is he going to be a problem?"
"No. He knows the drill. Hell, he's probably going to be tapped as support for this."
*****
"Why so glum, Honey?" Rachel asked settling onto her husband's lap. He wrapped his arms around her. She picked the thought out of his mind. "Oh. OH! Is that what's bothering you? You know I don't get jealous. Can I threaten Matt?"
"No." She kissed him gently. Alex devoured her mouth. He could taste coffee and spices, and somewhere underneath it all, her flavor. "So what did you do all day, Lazybones?"
"Let's see. I helped Jean write the latest report for the Senator, argued with Cable over whether or not he has big brother rights over me and Chris, taught the firearms class for Dad, and repaired the roof of the boathouse that Chris blew off when he was arguing with Papa about distances."
"Who was right?"
"Papa. He's had more practice and Chris doesn't always do his homework. I wouldn't have made that mistake. By the way, Grandpa Eric has something he wants you to take a look at."
"Okay."
"Have you finished up all your paperwork yet?"
"No. I have to go in tomorrow. There goes our lazy weekend."
"Of Danger Room sessions and anti-terrorist classes. Will Ro have to take over your classes on Sunday?"
"No, I'm not working Sunday."
"Good." She kissed his temple. "So, what are you making for dinner?"
"Pizza?" She laughed. "So would that be Pizza Hut, Dominos, or Pete's?"
"Pete's, of course." She floated the phone over to him. He grinned.
"Do you know how many years I wished I could get things to do that?" He tickled her ribs, then dialed the phone and ordered the pizza.
*****
"Smith!" Alex looked over his shoulder at the hail.
"Hey, Roush." He waited for Matt to catch up with him. They fell into step as they walked towards the station.
"Listen, Lex, some of us were thinking…"
"How unusual."
Matt rolled his eyes.
"What does your wife do? And can we get her to join the force?"
"Investments. No."
"She's a broker?"
"No. A teacher." Matt blinked as certain high school fantasies suddenly changed.
"A teacher?" Alex winked.
"At Xavier's School for the Gifted." Matt stopped him.
"She really *is* a mutant? I thought Xavier just took her parents in off the streets. And that the mutant thing was just a reason for your father to cut you off finally."
"He did take them in. But my father disowned me because she's effectively a pagan, not because she's mutant, although we did fight over that too."
"I'd guessed. So what can she do?" Matt asked, eyes wide with possibilities. Alex shook his head.
"If you can't guess, I'm not telling you. And you've met her family. There's no way a flatscan would come out of that line."
"Flatscan?" he asked. "I haven't heard that one."
"It's slang."
"No shit."
"For human. My mother-in-law flips her wig when someone uses it around me. So I'm embracing it." Alex shrugged. "Like a gay man defining himself as a 'fag.'" Matt shook his head as they started up the stairs.
"Only *you* would end up in a situation like that. So, about those cuff marks," Matt began. Alex's eyes flicked to his wrist. "They *were* cuff marks. I was right. I want details."
"Sorry. I never kiss and tell." Matt laughed.
"I'll get them out of you someday. I'm going over to get the tech shit set up. I'll see you Monday?"
"See you Monday. Stay out of trouble."
*****
"Hey, Ray, where's your better half?" Bobby asked.
"He has to work." She pouted. "I told him I could keep him, but he's got this dedication to some protect and serve oath or something." Bobby grinned at her.
"Too bad. Slim was hoping for a fresh face in the training room. To keep the kids off guard."
"My husband is *not* a training robot."
"I never said he was," Scott said, offering his arms for a hug.
"Hi, Dad!" She hugged him and kissed his cheek.
"He's a hostage." She punched him in the shoulder and his smile widened. "Have you convinced him to move in where it's safe?"
"Here? Hell no. As if I'd expose him to you people 24/7 before I've gotten him trained."
"You know you've got him twisted around your finger," Scott protested.
"Is Papa Remy around?"
"He's on a pick up with Rogue. The professor seems to be under the impression that the rest of us are too threatening for this one."
"Why not send Bobby?" Rachel asked.
"It's tax season," Bobby explained. "And I really need to get back to work."
Scott kept an arm around his daughter's shoulders as they went to the Danger Room, which was currently set up as a gym. Logan was supervising the classes as they worked through their katas. He nodded a greeting to Scott and Rachel. "Go get changed, Honey," Scott told her. "You can start them on tumbling."
*****
Alex sighed and rubbed his eyes. He hated paperwork. "Lunch?" he asked Jake.
"That'd be good. Does this town always have lulls like this? I thought being this close to the City would be more interesting. Well, it is better than Rexford, but still."
"We get flurries of activity, then nothing." Alex shrugged. "I'm not sure, but the Kingpin seems to keep his people out of the area for some reason. It's as if this is neutral ground most of the time. Then, we have these spurts of activity, like the usual controls just disappear." Alex frowned. "I wonder if they correlate with some business meetings or something." He made a note to corner his fathers-in-law about that.
"Where do you get these tips?" Jake asked gesturing at the file he was proofing. "Wait! Tell me over food."
"Why would I tell you?" Alex asked. "Come on. There's a good place around the corner that Horton wouldn't be caught dead in."
"Why not?" Jake asked, grabbing his jacket.
"It's run by a mutant." Jake laughed.
"So you're a lobbyist in cop's clothing."
"Sh. You'll ruin my reputation."
*****
"How long does it take fer an arranged pick-up?" Logan growled, staring at the clock. Warren shook his head. He never would have believed Logan could get so antsy. "Bet those two decided to take a side trip and just ain't called in."
"Jealous?" Warren prodded.
"Watch it, Wings."
"Well, they *were* a couple for a while. And now that Rogue can touch, they might want to explore the possibilities."
Logan snarled. "They've had years fer that, Worthington. No, the brat's ticked that Scott nixed the museum trip. They've been prickin' at each other fer over a week."
"How long before Scott caves?"
"After the Cezenne exhibit closes."
"How much longer are we going to have a cranky Fearless Leader?"
"Three weeks and two days. Unless ya can find a suitable distraction."
"Like what?" Warren asked curiously.
"A Cezenne for the library." Warren laughed himself sick.
*****
//Papa!// Rachel chided. //You taught a cop to pick locks! After forbidding me to do it!//
"Of course, Petite. I wanted t' do it m'self." He grinned at his daughter's outrage. She had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her lips. "Come here, Petite. Rachel, dis is our newest student. She calls herself Starfire."
The girl's skin was nearly translucent. There was a glow to her silver eyes. She wore a black hooded coat and gloves that covered her form. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun. "A pleasure to meet you," Starfire said politely. It was enough for Rachel to identify her accent as midwestern. Power crackled over her skin.
"Likewise. Has anyone shown you to your room?"
"We've just arrived."
"Then I'll do it." Rachel took charge of the new student. Remy grinned at Starfire's raised brows in his direction. He shrugged.
"I see the family resemblance now," she informed him. He swept her a formal bow. "Are you *all* insane?" she asked Rachel.
"Yes."
*****
"Done. Now what?" Jake asked, dropping the last file into its slot.
"Now I go to the gym. My body's already screaming for it."
"How often do you work out?"
"Every day. Usually with Ray." They made their way to the basement.
"What's your usual?" Jake watched in fascination as Alex put his weapons into a lock box that he stored at the bottom of his locker: service weapon, back-up gun, hold-out gun, two clips for each, a spring loaded knife that Jake was sure couldn't be legal, a metal rod he didn't know the purpose of, and something Alex wouldn't let him see.
"Well, usually, on Saturday, katas with Logan, staffs with Remy, running with Scott, meditation with Ro, tumbling with Rach, boxing with Chris, and cooking with Jean. When I'm on my own though, I start with running, then boxing, followed by target practice, and ending with katas." Jake was staring. "So I slack off without supervision," Alex grinned.
"You call that slacking off? I normally do about an hour in the gym and call it good."
Alex shrugged. "I have to keep up with my in-laws. You haven't *seen* these people, Jake. Scott's in his fifties and runs a four minute mile. It's cruelty. On the plus side, I don't have to worry about what I eat."
They started stretching. "I've always hated running," Jake sighed as he retied his shoelace.
"Then don't try to keep up, okay? Vinnie nearly died when he tried to. It's something you have to work up to."
"Roger. But I'm going to watch at least. And I could use some time on the range."
"Fine with me, I don't mind having company. We'll go for distance not speed? Tell me when you get tired. I'll warn you, I got conned into the Boston Marathon four years ago."
"Did you finish?" Jake asked as they started a slow jog around the track.
"Came in tenth." Jake stumbled. Alex caught his arm. "There was money involved. Matt, Piggy and I split the pot." Jake shook his head.
"Roush is right. You have to watch the quiet ones."
*****
Chris dropped an arm over Trey's shoulders. "So, I hear you made an accord with the other flatscans, hon."
"You can't con me." Trey tapped his forehead. "We have a link, remember? What do you really want to know?"
"How many of the normals have you co-opted into this agreement?"
"Well, there's Lex, Jenny T., me, Paulie, oh, and Sandy's little sister - the one that ran away with her, what's her name?"
"Leslie?"
"That's it, Leslie, and your step-mom."
"Mama Belle? Watch your back, darling, I mean it."
"Don't worry. She and Lex have some sort of mutual avoidance of messy topics. So, murder is not on the plate. And don't get your shorts in a twist. It's just sort of a support group. We exchanged numbers so that when we fell into those horrible can't talk to anyone here times, we have somewhere to go."
"There are times you can't talk to me?" Chris bit at his lip. He'd picked up the habit from Scott and nothing seemed to be able to stop him.
"Oh, yeah. Don't get me wrong, Babe. I love you to bits, but there are some times when you need a different perspective on things. Lex and me especially. Belle's got her own life so that helps her, and the others are young enough that it's not a problem for them. But Lex has to deal with the rest of the cops. And I have to deal with the business world. You know damned well that even Worthington isn't out. It'd kill his business."
"I don't believe that."
Trey snorted. "You live in this absolutely wonderful place, off of money the thief invested for you. Hello, you don't need to believe it. The real world ain't so nice. That's why your parents keep running off to find kids that are being threatened because of their differences. To top it all off, I'm a gay black man. How much further out there do you think they'll let me be?"
Chris winced. "I'm sorry, hon. I forget that the dream isn't real yet."
"No, it's not. I think Xavier's got a great idea. I think this place does good work, but it's not the real world and there's nothing that can make that go away. That's why we need the support group. Lex loves Ray dearly, but he lost his family over it. And no matter how accepting you guys are, you will never be able to replace that. So, yeah, I'm a little angry and didn't realize it until I started spouting. Lecture over."
Chris grinned. "No prob. That's what I'm here for right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Smug bastard."
"So I've been told."
"By me, repeatedly. Let's go find something to use up this energy on. There's a room in the boathouse that needs to be repainted right?"
"Are you feeling alright? You just suggested work."
"I need some physical labor to clear my head. And since you're the one who blew the roof off. . ."
"Don't remind me. I owe Rach about three weeks worth of chores for crawling up there."
"So, we paint the room and maybe, just maybe we won't have Logan glaring at us anymore."
"What 'us', Trey? Me. He's glaring at me."
"Make of our hearts one heart and all that shit, Babe. You're stuck with me."
*****
The greeting that rang through the front room made Jean's jaw clench. "Hey, Flatscan!" Chris called.
"Hey, Mutie!" Alex yelled back. He hung up his coat. "Hello, Jean," he said poking his head into the kitchen. "Grinding your teeth is bad for you. Am I too late?"
"No, I saved you some food. Get your plate before Logan goes after it."
"Thanks, Jean." Alex took the still warm plate from the microwave. "Smells great. So what's the low down?"
"One new student, Starfire. Scott and Remy are arguing. Rachel is bickering with Remy." Alex blushed. "So you *do* have something to do with that. I thought so. Ro, Bish, and Bets are out on a mission. Chris and Trey are planning a trip to Harry's. You're invited by the way. Movies of the night are _Henry_V_ and _Hamlet_."
"You let Scott out again didn't you?" Alex teased. "Is this the chicken recipe that Jubilee sent?"
"Yes, like it?"
"It's different."
"That it is. Especially since I know that Rachel cooks Cajun." She raised a brow at him.
"It's not my fault you never banned Remy from the kitchen." Alex said as he put up his hand to defend against the mock glare.
"You encourage her. You eat it."
"I'll eat practically anything that someone else makes." Alex finished his dinner and helped wash the dishes.
*****
Remy stretched until he heard his back crack. Logan chuckled. "Been tellin' ya fer years, I'll rub that out fer ya."
"Merci, cher, but that ain't necessary. Y' ready t' try this?"
"I don't know if I should let ya at me with anythin' sharp."
Remy pouted. "We don't ever fence no mo'. Beginnin' t' t'ink y' don' love m'."
"I love ya. I just ain't sure I trust yer sense of humor. Since ya did get _Hamlet_ fer the kiddies tonight."
"Would I poison y'?"
"Don't bat yer lashes at me, Gumbo."
"Why not?"
"Just get yer sword. I ain't gonna wait all night."
Remy picked up the sword he'd had since his fifteenth birthday. It was the same weapon that had killed his brother-in-law. He closed his eyes to banish the emotions. He turned to face his lover. Logan cocked his head to the side, slightly confused by the shifting scent. Remy shook his head and the Canadian let it go. They bowed to one another, then took their positions, heedless of the watchers in the control room.
*****
At their apartment, Alex settled on the couch with Rachel on his lap. "Are you sorry we missed _Hamlet_?" he asked.
"No way. I know it by heart. I'd rather spend time with you. Actually, I'd rather spend some quality time expanding your education." She grinned wickedly.
"Oh? And what do you have in mind?" Alex asked as she started nibbling on his ear. She laughed softly. It was a dark, sensual purr against his skin. He shivered. He tightened his grip around her waist. A warm, wet tongue outlined the shell of his ear. It traveled along the line of his jaw, brushing the barely noticeable stubble the wrong way. She nipped at the bottom of his chin and soothed the bite with a kiss.
She sucked at the pulse point under his ear until it bruised. He stroked up and down her back with long, gentle fingers, easing away his lingering tension with the feel of her. The scent of her hair and rose powder filled his nose. Her teeth pulled at his lobe.
He nuzzled at her neck. He knew she liked it. It made her squirm in his lap, especially when his teeth grazed over her collar bone. He bit more sharply and she moaned. She shifted until she was straddling his legs. She stroked his hair and lifted his mouth to hers.
The kiss was fever-hot. Alex fought for control of the kiss, tongue darting into her mouth, one hand settling at the back of her head. Teeth and tongues and lips met and parted in a series of battles. In the end, he relaxed and let her win as usual. She licked his bruised lips. "I love the way you taste," she told him. She delved back into his mouth for another lingering kiss that pressed him back into the cushions. She purred in his ear. "I'm going to drive you crazy, Baby. And when you think you can't take one moment more, I'm going to show you that one level higher. I will never hurt you, Sweetheart. Never," she promised, kissing him more gently. "Just let me take care of you."
"But…"
"Trust me."
"Always." He closed his eyes and she smiled. She ran her fingers gently over his face. He smiled against the tips of her fingers. He turned into her touch on his cheek. She kissed his forehead, his eyes, his nose, his mouth, and his throat. His fingers settled on her hips. She breathed against his throat and he bit back a laugh. "Evil woman," he accused.
"I like to hear you laugh," she told him. "Not as much as I like to hear you moan, of course." Heat suffused his cheeks. "Blushing is always a good look on you."
"I'd figured that out."
"Well, there are some plusses to loving a cop, I always say." She kissed him gently until she definitely felt his erection through her jeans. She slowly unbuttoned his shirt, licking and kissing his skin as it was exposed. His fingers tensed on her sides as she teased along his ribs with light nips.
"I think," he said, voice trembling, "that we better take this to the bedroom."
"No, honey. I'm in charge tonight. We're going to do this here until I say we move. Trust me. It'll be good." Alex nodded, eyes closed as her mouth found his bellybutton and her tongue dipped in and out of it. He settled his hand in her flame colored hair. He found his fingers curling into it as her tongue drifted lower. "I'm going to have to do something about that," she mused to no one in particular.
"About what?" he asked, frowning. He knew he'd missed some thread of logic that seemed obvious to her. Maybe it was a complete topic jump as her youngest father was prone to do.
"Lex, shut up before I gag you," she said with a wicked grin. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. She winked at him. Then, she wrapped her hands around his wrists. She wasn't stronger than he was unless she used her TK. The thing was, if he struggled, she used her TK. She kissed him, then slid her hands up his arms, then tore the shirt off of him.
"Rachel! What is it with you and destroying clothing? It took me an hour to get all the buttons on this shirt last night!"
"It's cheap, Lex. It's not like I went after a silk shirt or something. It's not even a designer shirt."
"Rachel, that's not the point. I've told you before, just because. . ."
She shredded what was left of the shirt. He sighed at her. Then, she pounced. He was shocked when the cloth filled his mouth. Automatically, he tried to stop her, but she held down his hands with a thought. She kissed him, tasting his sweat in the cloth. It was sweet and sharp. She secured the bundle in his mouth with the remains of a sleeve. He glared at her, but it lacked heat. He *did* trust her not to hurt him. He trusted her with his life. Besides, she'd started "training" him on their honeymoon. She'd gagged him because she'd wanted to go down on him in a semi-public place. She knew he was a screamer. She liked the idea. But they'd had to be careful not to get caught. It had been a janitor's closet in the precinct house. Actually, now that he considered it, a gag in the apartment was probably a good idea. Maybe he should start turning the tables.
"That's better," she informed him with a grin. She reminded him *far* too much of her fathers when she did that. She settled her hand over his still trapped erection. He gave her big eyes and set his hands carefully on his thighs. She kissed the tip of his nose.
TBC