Aaron met Emily down in the restaurant. It was a no-brainer, really. They were still on a case, so going over this in the privacy of his rooms was career suicide for both of them, but the restaurant was a public place. It was loud enough that they would be able to tease each other and the table they picked was tucked away in a corner. They sat close together, the occasional brush the only contact they’d allow themselves in public with the team just upstairs.
“I still don’t think Madeline Ray’s disappearance is connected with the kidnapping,” Emily said softly, reaching across his body for the report of the girl’s disappearance. She felt like it was a useless thing to say. It was just a façade for them to spend time together.
It was difficult to sit there and behave. They’d been apart all day, contact in text messaging, but what really got Aaron was the knowledge that two other men had been visually undressing her. He wished he’d been there, wished he could have glared them into behaving themselves, regardless of the consequences. He wanted a reminder that she was still with him.
But they were on a case, on the clock, still working and he didn’t want to risk anything in public. He’d been a little disappointed when she’d suggested they work in the restaurant, but understood the thoughts behind it. It was too dangerous for them to be alone in someone’s hotel room and if there was one thing Aaron Hotchner didn’t do, it was break the rules. Even if what he really wanted was to shove her against the wall and have his way with her. He was a man, he had needs too.
“Hey,” she said softly, waving her hand in front of his face. “You still with me?”
“Madeline Ray,” he said promptly, trying to ignore her foot against his. She’d kicked off her shoes “ she’d developed an aversion to them while on leave “ and he could feel the heat of her foot against his ankle. It was distracting. “Why is this bothering you so much?”
“We’re assuming she’s connected because she’s the same age and she’s on that site, but what if she just used the kidnappings as a way to get away from her parents?”
“She would have taken things with her. Her wallet, her cell phone, clothes…” His hand snuck up her back, trailing lightly up and down the lower three inches of her spine. Aaron grinned in satisfaction when she shivered.
It was a new thrill to be able to touch her like that. He’d taken advantage of it while they were in her apartment over the weekend she moved back in. He’d brushed against her, held her, stroked an arm, or her back when he had the chance. She hadn’t gone without her liberties either and glorified in the lack of guilt she felt snuggling against him or throwing her legs across his lap.
It had been so long since he’d kissed her and the semi-privacy in addition to his contact were making her body a little warm. The last time they’d been alone together was the Wednesday night of their first date, though they’d been on the phone over that weekend. Then they’d been thrust into the case without any real chance to find solid footing. Her control was tenuous at best. She wanted to cu rl up against him, wanted the reality he offered her so freely. She wanted him.
They worked for a little while longer, compiling notes, going over statements, looking at pictures, gradually increasing the frequency of their touches, becoming more daring. Her toes were climbing up his shin now, his hand forgoing fabric entirely to trace along the skin of her back. Their heads were close enough together that a simple twist on either of their parts would mean the kiss they both wanted.
“I think I’m going to head to bed,” she said softly, her hands moving to re-organize the files. His eyes were dark when she looked at him and she knew there was no way she’d be able to resist him. It didn’t matter that they were on a case, didn’t matter that JJ would interrogate her the next morning. Nothing mattered but the dark look in his eye and the heat spreading through her.
“I’ll walk you up.” It was a flimsy thing to say and he knew it, could hear the dark seductiveness of his own voice. His logical brain tried to argue, tried to fight back against the part of his brain that was telling him to just kiss her already, but it felt like only a whisper in the back of his mind. The only thing he could see was Emily. The only thing he could feel was the arousal she inspired in him.
It was different with Emily. Haley was the type that enjoyed the slow burn, taking time, holding back. Emily was molten, pushing, wanting more, even though she’d held back. He had too, in her defense, but he’d always wanted more. Sex with Haley was always satisfying, but from his little experience in a physical relationship with Emily, he had a feeling it was going to be explosive.
They stood apart in the elevator, the risk still too high for them to do anything. His door came first and she knew she was going inside without him even having to ask. The door was barely closed behind her before he was on her, not that she minded all that much. She responded immediately, pulling herself as close as possible, opening her mouth under his to allow his tongue entrance.
Aaron pushed her back against the door, the closest flat, semi-stable surface. He knew this was wrong, knew they really shouldn’t be making out like teenagers while working on the case, but the sound she made as he trailed a thumb under her breast and the sound of her head hitting the door as he attacked her neck made it virtually impossible to do anything except surrender to the lust racing through him.
She needed the release after seeing the bodies of their two murder victims. She needed to feel alive, feel something other than fear and depression. Emily could feel his fingers, could feel the fabric of her blouse loosening around her shoulders and couldn’t even summon the will power to get him to slow down, let alone stop. She wanted to fall into him completely, to give up all control and let go, but she knew better. Still, his day old stubble against her collarbone felt heavenly. Maybe there was a way to do this without risk. She knew she hadn’t brought protection and she was pretty positive Aaron didn’t carry any around in his ready bag like she assumed Derek did.
He was going crazy and he didn’t understand it. He’d managed to hold everything back while living with her and yet, the minute he thought she was gone, he did the one thing he never expected to do. And here he was, pushing her shirt off of her shoulders, following it down her arms until it silently fluttered to the floor. Her chest was heaving as he pulled back to let her questing fingers undo his tie. He’d left his suit jacket in his room when they returned but he’d left the tie on in hopes of having something to remind him of why they were there. It didn’t matter now, not with Emily’s fingers making quick work of the knot.
She could feel Aaron’s eyes on her as her fingers fumbled with the first four buttons of his shirt. She slowed down then, her breath still coming harshly, taking the time to get some of her sanity back. “We can’t do this,” she said, even as her fingers continued to pick apart his buttons.
“I know,” he answered, even as he swooped in for another kiss. Her response left him no doubts that this was what she wanted. Still, he understood her protest wasn’t exactly a token one.
Emily pulled away to kiss his jaw and nibble at his ear. “I don’t have anything with me.”
He’d been right. Not a token protest but a somewhat serious one nonetheless. Still, with her pale skin bared to his gaze, he knew there were other ways to get around that particular issue. She didn’t protest when he went for her belt buckle. “Neither do I.”
Her fingers trailed tantalizingly along Aaron’s pant line. “Then we really can’t do this.”
“I know,” he repeated. He tried to convey that in his next kiss, slowing them down substantially. He wanted her, desperately, but she made a good point.
Emily broke the kiss, leaning back against the door and putting some space between their bodies. She almost jumped him again when she got a look at him, mussed hair, shirt hanging unbuttoned from his shoulders… It pushed at her resistance. “Do you have a shirt I could wear?”
He let himself trail his fingers down her sides one more time as he pulled away completely. Unbuttoning his shirt cuffs, he made his way across the room to where his bag sat on a chair. He dug through it, coming up with only the t-shirt he usually wore to bed. But there was no way he would be able to keep his hands to himself if she was sleeping beside him in just her bra and panties. If she was staying at all. He held the material out for her. “You should probably head back to your room.”
She nodded as she took the shirt. “I should.”
He felt a thrill when she didn’t move to leave. He arched an eyebrow, question in his eyes.
She shrugged. “Would you rather me pound on your door at three in the morning?”
“Emily-“
“I know,” she said, plopping down on the end of the bed, playing with the shirt he’d given her. “Logically, I know, but I don’t know what else to do. It sucks and I hate it, but I’d rather deal with the team come morning than deal with the nightmares tonight.”
It was a lot for her to admit and he wasn’t sure he accepted it as the full reasoning behind it, nor was he sure he felt comfortable with the idea, but she looked so incredibly sad, fear showing in the curve of her back, that he wasn’t sure he could, in good conscience, send her back to her room to face her demons. “I don’t have an extra toothbrush.”
She felt her body relax. “S’okay,” she said. “I’ll be out of here before I need one.”
JJ knew two things. One, she needed to thank whoever had invented easy-wash cotton clothing. Two, Emily Prentiss had not returned to their room last night. Her bed was still made, her things still exactly where they’d been left the morning before, and even her case notes were gone. JJ knew she’d gone down to the restaurant to work last night, but it would surprise her if Emily had picked up a guy while on her first case back. The blond didn’t look up from the morning edition when the door clicked open.
“Morning.”
JJ looked up, catching Emily’s eyes, looking over her once. “Wasn’t that what you wore yesterday?” She saw Emily straighten. This was going to be better than JJ had expected.
“Yes,” the brunette answered.
“Why are you wearing your clothes from yesterday? And what’s that t-shirt in your hands?”
“It’s Hotch’s t-shirt,” Emily said honestly. She knew it was only a matter of time before Garcia’s news got back to Emily and it had been early that morning, as she was putting her slacks and blouse back on, that she decided JJ and Garcia knowing, probably wouldn’t be so bad after all. “I’m trading.”
JJ was stunned. “What?” She watched in a little bit of shock as Emily reached into her bag, pulling out a well-worn t-shirt. “Whay-ait a second. What is going on? Where were you? What are you so not telling me.” It surprised her how intensely calm Emily was about the questions when she’d been so protective the previous day. “You stayed with Hotch last night, didn’t you?”
Emily nodded.
“Okay, first, wow. And I mean… wow,” JJ said, still trying to really process the news. “Second, what on earth are you thinking!? Morrow is just down the hall.”
“I think Agent Morrow understands what she’s getting herself into,” Emily said honestly.
“And you? Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?” JJ was all for a relationship between Emily and Hotch. They had a way about each other, even before she’d been attacked, that spoke of a deeper connection. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he worked her mother’s security detail, maybe it was just an automatic connection, but there had always been just that little bit more between them.
Nevertheless, there was more than just Emily and Hotch to think about. JJ didn’t for a second think any of the team would be resentful. She didn’t think Hotch would show favouritism, didn’t think, come the passage of time, either of them would have a problem working together. In fact, they really hadn’t had a problem up to this point. She’d been a little surprised that there had only been the one slipup. And the text messages, but JJ had a feeling that any flirting was done in between the exchange of case information. Both agents were too good at their jobs to let themselves fall apart while completely immersed in their work.
There were reputations to consider, hers, his, the team’s… Everyone had a stake in this and though no one had as much on the line as Emily and Hotch did, there was still enough to worry JJ.
“I hope so,” Emily said honestly.
“Hope?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “I know I want it. I knew that any relationship beyond friendship outside of the office was risking a lot, but…”
“No risk, no reward?” JJ offered.
“Something like that,” Emily agreed. “He knows what we see. He knows how the job works. It’s refreshing to not have to explain everything and it’s nice to have someone who just knows.”
JJ understood better than Emily thought. There were times, when they were at their weakest, that she and Reid reconnected, simply out of that bond of Tobias Henkel. It was nice to spend time together, to talk to someone who understood the grief and gore they saw. But JJ was a little worried about that being the foundation of the relationship.
“It’s more than that too,” Emily said, unwittingly answering JJ’s worried thoughts. “He saw my recovery, heck, Jayje, he’s seen me at my weakest. He’s seen me at my most pathetic and it doesn’t seem to even phase him.”
“So this is a real thing?” JJ asked, a smile tilting the corners of her mouth.
“I think so,” Emily admitted. “And we know we really can’t do things like share a room. This should help.” She held up the t-shirt.
JJ shot the brunette a knowing quirk of her lips. “So I can’t sneak Spence in here anymore?”
Emily let out a bark of laughter. JJ went back to scanning the front page as Emily went about her early morning routine. Twenty minutes later, Emily prepared for the day and, JJ assumed, heading down for breakfast, the blond stopped her friend in the door.
“Hey Em?”
Emily turned.
“I’m glad you got your guy.”
Emily grinned.