The next morning found Marlena woken up by the sound of the office door shutting as Russell came back in with fresh coffee in his hand, one for each of them. He leans down and hands her one, his body stiff as he gives her a tight smile and kisses her forehead. The sun hadn't even begun to peek over the horizon yet, the streets outside still quiet and still, too early yet for anyone to be up and about. "Head home, doll. Get cleaned up and changed before you come back in for the day." He orders, his voice soft, but his words still holding that tone that left no room for argument. She could tell that the Russell that'd spent the night with her the night before, that had held her through the night, waking her up throughout the night with tender kisses and soft touches had been locked far away. She nods and gets up, pulling on the clothes she'd worn the night before, sighing when she finds her underwear once again missing. She rolls her eyes and looks at him, laughing as he simply pats his chest pocket. Russell watches her gather her purse and attempt to tame her wild curls, a grin stretching over his lips as he sees the dark marks he'd left peppered across her tanned neck and shoulders. He steps forward and runs his index finger over them. "Today might be a scarf day, doll. Go on, be a good girl and go." He leans down and places one more kiss to her lips, softly patting her ass before pulling back, watching as she walks out of his office, looking back at him one more time. Russell straps on his gun belt and grabs his keys, watching out the window until he sees Marlena get into her car and drive away. He calls Keith, briefing him on his upcoming absence, telling the deputy only what the man needed to know, letting him know that he'd be out of town on a case for a few weeks and that Keith was in charge in his absence. He knew he couldn't tell Marlena. She'd ask too many questions, but after the messages he'd received the night before, he knew he had to pay a visit to his contacts in Austin and find out if his cover was still intact. The possibility that someone had found him out, found out that he had double crossed Valenciano, was the worst case scenario, especially since whoever had the information obviously knew about Marlena. Marlena had gone home just as she had been told, a smile on her face. She knew something was off with Russell, but she knew better than to pry. She simply took solace in the knowledge that he had sought comfort in her. After her trip home, Marlena had returned to the office to learn of Russell's absence from Keith, her heart sinking. She couldn't deny that it had stung that he hadn't told her, but could she really have expected him to? She was only his secretary, after all. She fetched his coffee, black, always, and strong enough to start a jet engine. She answered his phones, ran money and drugs and coordinated meetings for him and when he was in the mood, she was his release, his piece of ass. She liked to think she was more, but this was only proof, at least to her, that she wasn't and likely would never be. She fought back tears as she sits at her desk, listening to Keith explain that Russell would be gone for a few weeks on a case.
Weeks had gone by without a word, Marlena had kept the office in order, keeping the paperwork done, the phones answered. No one in the office had heard from Russell which was unusual when he was actually on a case. She knew something was wrong. When finally, after three weeks, he came dragging into the office, a few days growth of dark beard on his face, a dark bruise around one eye and his left arm in a sling, she knew something had gone terribly wrong. He doesn't look at her as he storms past her, into his office and slams the door, the window in it rattling with the force of it. She gives him a few minutes then pours a cup of coffee, standing up on shaking legs and carrying it to his office, knocking softly. She jumps as she hears his loud, booming voice. "No!" That was the only answer she received. She stands there a few moments, still waiting, her hands shaking around the hot ceramic of the coffee mug. She should be smart, she should turn around and go back to her desk, leave him be, let the beast stew in whatever hell he'd created, but she couldn't. At the end of the day, he had her heart. She loved him, and he was suffering. Her basic instinct was to comfort him in anyway possible. Taking a deep breath, she slowly reaches for the door handle, turning it and pushing it open, stepping in quietly shutting the door behind her. She doesn't see him at his desk and walks further into the office, seeing the door to the small connected bathroom open. She watches as shaves the beard away, his brow furrowed in concentration, more bruises appearing as the hair disappears from his face. She slowly approaches him, placing her hand on his back over the grey tshirt, the uniform discarded somewhere in his office. He jumps under her touch and meets her gaze in the mirror as she sets the coffee on the sink. Russell glares as he meets her gaze in the mirror. "Get the hell out, Lena. Not in the mood to deal with you." He growls, his entire body aching, his mind weary. He was worn out from the weeks travel. He'd gone to Austin in search of answers and had only come back with more questions. He'd run into some of Valenciano's competition there who'd gotten their hands in the pockets of the governor. He'd had to fight his way out of that situation and had barely made his way out of it. After threatening the governor and two other officials, he'd finally been able to find out that the messages hadn't been sent from anyone on the inside. He had a feeling as soon as his old buddy from the academy had helped run further traces, that he knew who was behind the messages. That was something he wasn't ready to address, yet. He had to be certain before he took any action.
He wipes his face and shoves past Marlena, moving out of the bathroom and back to his office, stripping off the tshirt carefully with his injured arm, revealing several bruises left behind from gunshots taken to his bulletproof vest. He hears Marlena's sharp intake of breath and closes his eyes, placing his hands on his desk, his back to her as he leans on it. "Marlena, please. Now isn't the time." He says, much softer than before. Because of him, because he couldn't keep her at arms length, she was in danger. His efforts to keep her out of danger had put her firmly in the sights of Valenciano and everyone working for him. He feels her soft hands on his bare back and her lips placing tender kisses over each and every little bruise on his skin. He closes his eyes, letting himself for once let go of his control and just feel, just enjoy the soft touches. Marlena gently places her hands on his hips and turns him to face her, his hips resting back against his desk. She runs her hands over his chest, her fingers tracing the bruises buried in the light smattering of dark hair there as she places soft kisses to his jawline. She didn't know what he'd gone through or why, but she wouldn't ask. She knew better. Questions weren't what he needed, right now. "Let me help you, Russ." She says softly, moving her hands down his chest, over his stomach, caressing his soft stomach and smiling as he lets out a little sigh, clearly enjoying her tender caresses. She slowly lowers herself to her knees, her hands moving to the zipper of his pants, his belt and gun belt already discarded. His large hands reach out, stopping her movement in his, his eyes locked on hers, warning her. Looking up at him, a soft pleading in her big dark eyes, she gives him that soft smile that he could resist, the sweet upturn of her lips. "Please....sir." She implores sweetly, keeping her hands still even after he removes his. Russell hisses through his teeth, his cock twitching in his pants at her plea, letting a low chuckle escape him. She knew exactly how to get to him. Placing his hands back on his desk he nods, giving her permission to continue, his hands gripping the edge of his desk as she opens his pants and pulls out his slowly hardening cock. Marlena leans in, placing a soft kiss to the head of his cock, licking the head of it before taking him into her mouth, moaning around him, her hand pushing his pants down so that she can run her hands over his thighs. She takes him all the way to the base then pulls back, swirling her tongue over that sensitive spot just under his head before doing it over and over again, her hands tracing tender circles over his stomach and thighs, anywhere she could touch, worshipping him. Russell almost didn't catch himself, almost let himself go then and there in her hot, tempting mouth, but he didn't want to spill himself there tonight. No, he needed to feel her wrapped around him.
He reaches forward, cupping her cheek, gently hooking his thumb into the corner of her mouth and pulling her off of him, giving her a tender smile. "Enough, baby girl. Come up here." He says softly. Her persistence and the loving care she's shown him since he'd walked back in the office even in the face of his cold demeanor, his harsh words, it had touched something inside of him, stirred that part of him he'd tried to keep hidden from her. Without hesitance, Marlena obeyed. No matter how much she wanted to feel him come down her throat, Russell, her Russ, told her to get up, and she would always do what he told her to, not because she had to, not because he forced her to, but because she wanted to. She stands and wraps her arms around him, accepting his kiss as his lips come crashing down on hers in a deep, slow, wet kiss, the kind that lasts until both parties are gasping and breathless. His hands grip her ass, lifting her, her legs wrapping around his waist as he turns, sweeping everything off of his desk with his arm, ignoring the twinge of pain. The pain didn't compare to the pleasure of her in his arms, the taste of her on his lips. He sets her on the edge of his desk, devouring her lips again and again, holding her close to him, his arms tightly around her, her arms clutching him to her as he slides into her, both of them gasping at that first slow, deep slide. "Russ..." Her soft breath fans against his lips, the sound swallowed by his kiss. Hundreds. That's how many times they had fucked. Hundreds of times, but never had he let himself feel like this, let go like this. He was wide open to her right here, right now, raw, bare. There was no Sheriff, no secretary, just Russ and Marlena. "Lena, baby girl...that's my girl, my good girl." He whispers as he trails kisses from her lips over her jaw to her neck, sucking and nibbling just below her ear, his hand gripping her ass as he pulls her even closer, their bodies moving together, their sighs filling the room. Neither of them cared that the entire office staff outside could hear them. Russell didn't care anymore. It was too late. It was too late to hide anymore. Marlena could feel the difference in Russell, his entire body was different, his kisses were different. Tears filled her eyes as she pulled his head back up, capturing his lips as she whispered her love against his lips again and again. They were words she was never allowed to say, words that if ever said before, they were shut down and shoved away, cause for the cold shoulder for weeks if not months. She sighs in relief, in absolute bliss as instead, she feels his grip tighten on her and he returns her kiss, his cock buried even deeper inside of her as he speaks against her lips. "Come for me, baby girl. That's it..." Even now, at his most vulnerable, he still most vulnerable, that familiar glimmer of dominance shined through, giving her that comfort she needed, that permission not to think, not to make decisions, to simply feel. On his command, she does just as he asks, her body tightening around him, her head falling back as her nails dig into his back, his shoulders, anywhere she can reach as she comes around him, moaning his name almost like a prayer. Russell watches her, rocking into her, drinking in the look of absolute pleasure on her face, the way her body flushed, the way her lips parted and her eyes fell shut as her pussy squeezed him, pulling his own release from him with a deep growl of her name. He continues to slowly rock inside of her a few minutes, riding out their releases, peppering her collar bone with kisses, keeping her in his arms as he looks up, meeting her gaze. "Thank you, baby." He smiles and runs his thumb over her bottom lip as she returns his smile. "I need you to have a bag packed, Baby girl. Things are going south fast. You need to be ready to leave." He warns softly. Marlena didn't miss the fact that he said she needed to be ready, not them. Her heart sank at that thought, but she would take the small victory of the day and face tomorrow as it came.