Author's Note: Things in this chapter heat up (read: get a little smutty). If smut isn't your thing, feel free to jump to the next chapter — I've posted an alternate version that is still pretty steamy, but not actually explicit.
***
And suddenly she's not registering anything other than just how good he looks right now. How much she wants to feel his hands all over her. How much she wants to turn off her brain and her feelings and just relish in the almost comically extreme amount of attraction that somehow always seems to materialize in the air around them. Fuck it, she thinks and closes the distance between them with the stealth of a panther, just barely noticing his eyes widening as her mouth finds his.
"Lucy," he groans against her lips, trying fruitlessly to find his willpower, to pull away from her, to remember the many, many reasons this is not a good idea. But he is weak in this moment, his resolve ground to dust by the ferocity, the single-mindedness of her advance toward him. She wants this, she wants him, and he simply does not have it in him to deny her anything.
He cups her cheek, his other hand finding her lower back, angling his head so he can take control of their kiss, bringing things down from a full boil to a gentle simmer as he savors memorizing the contours of her mouth, the feel of her lips against his.
He's changing the game on her, she realizes once he begins to kiss her back, turning her passion and hormone-fueled advance into something different, something slower and more sensual. It ignites something in her, terror rising up inside of her to blend with the sheer physical craving that had propelled her to him in the first place. She wants him. There's no question about it. But is she ready for this?
She pulls back from him, willing him to understand what she is looking for, what she needs, in this moment — that she is not looking for a conversation about feelings, or consequences, or some nebulous concept of what future Tim and Lucy might look like, but that she is instead desperate for a physical connection and comfort, and yes, even a distraction from what her world has become.
Because as much as she is elated about her victory tonight, there is still a lot of work to be done to bring Tamara's shooter to justice and still so many unanswered questions around those mysterious notes. She deserves this — a moment to celebrate and escape and enjoy herself without the weight of the world resting on her shoulders.
And even though everything about crossing this line with Tim is the absolute furthest thing from uncomplicated, she is tired of overthinking and analyzing and wondering. She is tired of being logical and practical and scared of making a decision she'll regret. She has been aching to be closer to him for days, weeks, maybe even months if she's truly honest with herself, and she is absolutely over denying herself.
Eyes locked on his, she reaches back to pull the strings of her top loose, seeing both surprise and something more primitive flicker across his face as the fabric falls to the floor.
He gently rubs his thumb against the skin on her hip, and she follows his gaze as he takes her in, eyes darkening with his desire. His eyes meet hers as he swallows, "Are we really doing this?"
There is nothing shy or uncertain about the version of Lucy Chen standing in front of him, and he's not sure that he's ever found anything sexier in his entire life. She is brazen and confident and so completely sure about what she wants from him that he knows resisting her is going to be completely pointless.
She is watching him, waiting to see how he'll respond to her invitation, if the escalation of intimacy and clarity around her intentions is enough to get him out of his head, but, unsurprisingly, she can sense that he's still uncertain. Despite the fact that she is standing half-naked in front of him, he is still hesitant to cross a line that had defined the entirety of their relationship up until a few short months ago.
She makes the decision easier for him, not breaking eye contact as she gently guides his hand over from her hip, settling it so his fingers are resting just barely inside the waistband of her shorts. "I want you to touch me everywhere, Tim."
He groans audibly at her words, so hard that the constraining fabric of his jeans has become uncomfortable. "You are going to end me, Lucy Chen."
But it's the encouragement he needs and he obeys, still watching her closely, ready to abort at the first sign of any discomfort or hesitance from her, but also not one to disregard a direct order. Because there's no question about it. She is the one calling the shots here, and he is absolutely and completely at her will. He lifts his free hand to cup her left breast, taking a moment to appreciate the way her generous curves completely fill his palm and how soft her smooth skin feels against his own mildly calloused hands, before brushing his thumb over her erect nipple. "You are absolutely incredible," he murmurs.
He lets his other hand slip further into her shorts and then into the stretchy fabric of her bikini bottoms, and the small moan that escapes her in reaction to his touch threatens to bring him to his knees.
"Fuck. Lucy." He groans again when he feels just how completely ready she is for him.
And then she's arching up on her tiptoes, her breasts brushing against his chest so that he can feel her peaked nipples through the thin fabric of his Henley as she brings her mouth to his ear, " Exactly."
She lets her lips close around his ear lobe, sucking gently before lightly scraping her teeth against the sensitive skin. And holy shit, the simple movement turns him on more than he'd have thought was possible, but right now it's his turn to be single-minded and completely focused on only one goal, so he uses his free hand to pull her mouth back to his own.
The kiss is heated and frantic, each of them caught up in processing all that's already unfolded between them in just the last 10 minutes and the anticipation of what is still to come, fully realizing that there is no turning back from here. No world where Lucy isn't pressed up against him, half-naked and flushed with excitement. No world where Tim's hand isn't in her shorts, fingers capitalizing on her body's reaction to him as he gently circles the tips of his fingers against her clit, until he finds the rhythmic pulse that has her coming undone.
Their lips break apart as Lucy drops her head back, arms tightening around his neck, legs threatening to give way underneath her as every muscle in her lower body tenses in response to his calculated touch. "Tim," she barely manages to get out, voice strangled with the impact of what he's doing to her, "If you don't stop, you're going to make me..."
He nuzzles his face into her neck, smiling wickedly before bringing his lips to her ear. "Exactly," he teases, before finally pulling back, giving her enough reprieve from the climactic build to catch her breath and regain her balance for the briefest of moments before he's then suddenly sliding both hands behind her, grabbing her ass to lift her up, her legs automatically wrapping around him in response to the unexpected movement.
He carries her into her bedroom and deposits her so that she's lying flat on the bed before moving to yank off her shorts and bikini bottoms in a single motion, not bothering to waste any unnecessary time and effort on buttons or zippers.
He pauses to look down at her, eyes clouded with lust as he drinks in every naked inch of her, mind still spinning with utter disbelief that they are actually here, actually doing this.
He pulls his own shirt over his head, tossing it off to the side of the bed, and Lucy props herself up on her elbows so she can take him in, just barely resisting the urge to crawl over to him and let her hands explore the contours of his newly exposed upper body. She's enjoying his sudden assertiveness far too much to not wait and see what he has in store for her.
Eyes on hers, he places his hands just above her ankles, her skin prickling with goosebumps as he runs them slowly along her calves up to the outside of her thighs and finally up to grip her by the hips, easily pulling her body down toward him at the foot of the bed, her now bent knees falling apart in anticipation.
"Tim," she breathes as he drops down to a kneel at the end of the bed and spreads her feet further apart. Lucy climbs back to her elbows and he doesn't break eye contact with her as his mouth finds her clit, gently sucking before slowly, but surely, finding the rhythm that he now knows has the power to get her to exactly where he wants her to be.
"Oh my god," she moans, finally breaking eye contact as she collapses back onto the bed.
Tim braces one hand on her hip, holding her in place as she begins to squirm, before using the other to slip his index finger inside of her, slowly moving in and out before gradually adding in his middle finger and increasing the pace. Completely attuned to how her body is responding, he pauses and curls his fingers inside of her, rocking his wrist until her moans tell him that he's found the right spot.
The noises escaping her are far from breathy now as she arches her back up off of the bed, lower body tensing, toes curling as Tim again brings her to the edge, "Tim."
And this time he doesn't stop, reveling in the feeling of her tightening around his fingers and the sound of her pleasure as she careens over the edge, her entire body trembling as the tension finally finds its release.
He licks his lips, gently slipping his fingers out of her, before climbing up onto the bed where Lucy is sprawled, staring glassily at the ceiling. "Oh my god. Tim, " she says again.
He makes his way to the head of the bed, settling back against the headboard and patting the space next to him, "Come here."
"I don't think I can move," Lucy sighs.
Tim laughs and then reaches down, grabbing her under the arms and gently pulling her up to him. Lucy offers no resistance to the movement, simply curling into his chest for warmth as he wraps his arms around her, and presses his lips to the top of her head.
And it's maybe that moment — the sweetness of being cradled in his arms in a moment of complete and total vulnerability that is the most unexpected of everything that has happened between them today thus far. The physical attraction and chemistry between them, though never explicitly acknowledged or acted upon up until a few short days ago, is not really a surprise if either is willing to be honest with themselves. But this, the overwhelming warmth and comfort that Lucy feels in his arms — the feeling of being so completely safe and cared for is all she needs to realize that no matter how she frames it in her head, what she thinks she needs in any given moment, nothing between her and Tim will ever just be purely physical. The emotional connection between them — the implicit trust and care and respect for each other — feels like it's only been magnified by this foray into uncharted territory, and Lucy now knows there's no possible way she can keep ignoring what she actually feels toward him, no possible way she can continue to minimize the intensity of the attraction between them — emotional and physical.
She cuddles closer into him, relishing in the feeling of warmth that blooms in her chest as his arms tighten around her in response.
She tilts her head back to press a kiss onto his jawline before turning her attention downward to fiddle with the button of his jeans, "You're not nearly naked enough."
Tim laughs out loud, "Why does that sound like a threat?"
Lucy laughs as well, letting her fingers wander up his abs before bringing her hand to a rest on his chest, pulling back enough to be able to look into his eyes, "Not a threat exactly... Maybe more like an order?"
"So you're the one giving orders now, huh, Officer Chen?" But even as the words escape his lips, he knows he is fooling absolutely no one. She is most definitely giving the orders.
Her lips purse the slightest bit in a teasing pout, and she looks up at him with a hooded gaze so sexy that it leaves Tim dumbfounded as to how he'd managed to keep his hands off her for so long, how he could have been so stupidly unaware of how much power his sassy little Boot could have wielded over him if she had chosen to during those long 12 hour shifts trapped together in a shop.
Certainly, he'd been aware that she was objectively attractive; the fact that she was easy on the eyes certainly didn't make their banter any less enjoyable, but that Lucy had been sweet and coy and playful, wide-eyed and innocent in a way that appealed to him and brought out his protective nature, but also somehow only served to make the line between them that much more clear, though he'd be lying if he didn't admit some of her sassier moments hadn't occasionally left him wondering what if — but this version of her, uninhibited and sultry and assertive and oh so very naked had sent that what if straight to hell; he was hers for the taking, no ifs about it.
"I want you to take them off, Tim," she finally says, and it's in the exact same tone as her earlier 'I want you to touch me everywhere , Tim,' and his response to it is just as immediate, his throat going dry as he feels himself hardening once more.
She drops her hand down to his jeans again, this time using her fingers to undo the button and slide down the zipper, the evidence of her impact on him clearly visible through the thin fabric of his boxer briefs, and then turns her gaze back to him, with a slight smirk on her pretty little mouth, as if his arousal is a vindication of her quest to get him naked.
He leans down and kisses her roughly, wiping the smirk off her face before sliding off of the bed and onto his feet to pull off his jeans and boxers, which he tosses toward the pile the clothes they were both previously wearing has formed on the floor.
She's ready for him, standing on her knees at the edge of the bed, hand outstretched to pull him back to her, "That's much better," she says as she takes him in, running her hands up his chest, the slightest bit of victory in her voice. And then she surprises him by swiftly climbing off the bed herself, pressing her hand against his shoulders to indicate she wants him to sit so he's facing her at the edge of the bed before climbing on top of his lap so that she is straddling him. He sucks in a breath when he feels the wetness of her center come into contact with his shaft as she situates herself, his hands gripping her hips to keep her steady until she's fully settled. "Right?" she asks sweetly, bringing her eyes up to meet his.
They are face to face now and Tim locks his eyes on hers, smirking briefly, "It's pretty good," he grudgingly agrees, his eyes trailing the loose waves of her hair down to where they meet the swells of her breasts. "The view's not bad, either."
"Pretty good? Not bad?" she whines, huffing slightly in exaggerated indignation at his nonchalance.
Tim ignores her, running his hands up and down her thighs in admiration, and then allowing them to roam over her hips up along her sides until finally settling on her breasts, using both hands to give them the attention and worship he'd been imagining since the moment he'd seen her wearing that damn dress at Angela's wedding. He teases her left nipple between his thumb and forefinger as he leans down to lick around the areola of her right breast, taking his sweet time before finally closing his lips over the nipple, alternately nipping and sucking gently, before turning his attention to her left breast.
Lucy arches her back in response to his torture, head falling back in a way that only provides Tim easier access to her and almost whimpering in protest, "Oh my God. Tim ... no ... I want you to come with me this time."
Tim can feel his own restraint dwindling as the heat from her center pools against his shaft and he works to keep her balanced as she begins to squirm and shift against him in search of friction. He knows that neither of them can hold off for much longer.
He pulls back and Lucy tips forward into him, momentarily breathless and still squirmy, burying her head into his neck in a way that has Tim suddenly thinking he could hold her like this forever. Her breathing is less ragged when she finally begs, "Please, Tim. I need you. " He skims his hand up and down her back, pressing a kiss to her shoulder as she collects herself.
Eyes not leaving his as she shifts back, keeping one arm thrown around his shoulder, fingers gently playing with the short hair at the back of his neck, she reaches down to stroke him, her own wetness acting as a lubricant. "Lucy," he grunts, squeezing her ass in warning, certain that she has no idea just how close he is. She doesn't let go, but stops stroking, leaning in to kiss him briefly. He moves his grip to her hips as Lucy lifts herself up, hand shifting to guide him into her.
And he may as well be seeing stars with how good she feels around him, relishing the sensation of her body adapting to him as she gradually receives his length, biting her bottom lip as she slowly lowers down.
He finds her eyes again and Tim pauses as the reconciliation of this gorgeous, sensual creature who's somehow managed to drive him completely out of his mind to the woman that he's grown to admire and trust and care for so deeply over the past year washes over him.
"Lucy," he says softly, raising his hand to tenderly brush her cheek with his thumb, before gently tucking a few strands of her now wild hair behind her ear.
And this time when she kisses him, it's sweet and slow and full of unspoken emotion and it fills him up with a warmth that he had genuinely wondered if he'd ever feel again. And regardless of whatever this started as, they are both fully aware that it's turned into something completely different, something terrifying, and beautiful, and altogether undeniable.
He lets his hands slide from her hips back to her ass, once again enjoying and appreciating the feel of her ample curves in his hands, and supporting her as she begins to move against him.
Lucy rolls her hips, experimenting with the movement and her positioning until his grip lets her know she's found the right rhythm and her own body confirms it.
Lucy had always suspected, but known for certain since that awkward morning at Rachel's, that Tim Bradford's body was enough to make her melt on sight alone. But this, feeling the muscles of his bicep cord under her grip as she uses his body for leverage, the solidness of his upper body as he anchors her, is hotter than she could have ever imagined.
Lucy comes first, but just barely, Tim's grip on her ass again tightening as he feels her contracting before beginning to shudder around him, his own jaw clenching and unclenching as his head tips back in anticipatory pleasure, supporting Lucy through a final upward thrust as he joins her, arms coming around her to take her with him as he collapses back on to the bed, Lucy finishing the tail end of her writhing and moaning wrapped up in his arms.
They lay back in silence for a few moments, both recovering and catching their breath.
Finally, Tim rolls over so he can look at Lucy, as beautiful as he's ever seen her with her wild hair, flushed cheeks, and dreamy eyes, "Not bad," he teases gently, brushing his thumb against her cheek.
Her eyes widen, lips pulling into the beginnings of a pout that Tim traces with his thumb, before moving to cut off her objection with a sweet, but chaste, kiss. "Before you get all worked up, seriously..." he brushes his lips against hers again, "It was pretty good."