Exhaustion settled over her like a blanket, tightening the muscles of her neck and shoulders. Her arms ached so badly she could hardly get undressed. Unfortunately, neither of the suite's bathrooms came equipped with a tub. Since a nice long soak was out of the question, she settled for a steaming shower, which did little to ease her aches and pains.     

No wonder Lee always complained about this assignment, being an instructor at Station One was much harder than being a student. A hotel was much nicer than those drafty wilderness cabins they were stuck in during phase one training.

Billy assigned her to cover phase two, which consisted of classroom work, supplemented with role playing scenarios. Phase two also covered light weapons training and Billy tasked Lee with the chore of educating and evaluating the candidates in their proficiency with a wide array of weapons.

Lee encouraged her to take advantage of his expertise to improve her skill and build her confidence in using her weapon. After all, now that she was taking on a more active case load, she needed to be able to protect herself and her partner.

Some of those rifles and shotguns had powerful recoils which almost sent her to the ground a few times, hence her aches and pains. No doubt, she'd sport a nice black and blue bruise on her shoulder by morning. Just one more reason she hated shooting. On the bright side, Lee was here sharing the burden with her, giving them the benefit of some much needed time together.   

After stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around herself, and then cracked the door a bit to let out the steam. While the warm water refreshed her mind, her body still ached. Briefly, she thought about getting dressed, but couldn't find the energy, so she slipped on a silky robe, nothing overly sexy but a little nicer than the pea-green, terry-cloth one she wore at home.   

Once the fog lifted, she pulled off her shower cap, finger-combed her damp curls, and then, used a light touch to apply some blusher and lipstick before going to search for Lee.  

Wandering through the shared living room, she spied a note propped against the lamp. Picking it up, she deciphered Lee's chicken scratch. Evidently, he went out to pick up something for them to eat.  Using the free time to her advantage, she padded back into her bedroom and phoned home, checking on her mother and sons.  

She'd just said good-bye to Jamie when she heard the door to the hotel suite creak open. She listened to the familiar steps of her partner as he walked across the living room. The crinkling of a bag told her he'd been successful in his mission to bring back dinner. Knowing food was just a room away; her stomach rumbled reminding her it had been some time since she'd last eaten. Reaching to hang up the phone, she winced a bit as a sharp pain shot through her neck and shoulders. She reached up to rub the soreness away.

"Here, let me get that for you." 

She hadn't heard him enter the bedroom and jumped at the sound of his voice. By now, she'd have thought that she'd be immune to his popping up unexpectedly.   

Lee reached out and took the receiver from her hands, settling it back on the cradle, and placed the bag he carried next to it.   

 "Thank you, Lee."  Relief and a twinge exasperation colored her voice.  

"So, I guess the hot shower didn't help?"  

"No, not really. I have some aspirin in my purse I can take after dinner."  

"I have a better idea. Lie down on the bed."  He raised his hands chest high, and flexed his fingers a few times. "And let Mister Magic Fingers take care of you."    

She opened her mouth but before she could voice her protest, he cut her off.   

"No arguments." He pointed to the bed, and twirled his finger indicating she should lie on her stomach. "You'd do the same for me. Now, assume the position."    

She grumbled a bit for forms sake while anticipation danced along her nerve endings. After all, he really did have magic fingers. His hands on her body never failed to ease some tensions and arouse others.  

Making herself comfortable, she rested her chin on her stacked hands. The bed dipped slightly as Lee joined her. He straddled her thighs, his knees bracketing her hips, and lowered himself to a kneeling position, his bottom barely resting on her legs keeping his full weight from crushing her. The rasp of denim against her outer thighs sent a shiver racing through her and goose bumps broke out along her skin.

The mattress shifted once again as he gently began kneading her shoulders. She sighed at the contact of his hands on her body, and could feel herself sinking deeper into the mattress as the tension slowly faded away.  

His fingers traveled from the back of her neck down to her shoulders. She couldn't stop the moan from escaping as he hit a particularly sore spot. Rocking forward, he worked his fingers into the knot of muscles until they loosened under his touch. 

"Oh Lee, don't stop. That feels sooo good," she purred. He growled in response. The very masculine sound sent heat rushing through her body, pooling in her stomach.

She looked up and caught their reflection in the mirror above the dresser. Her pulsed raced and her breathing hitched at the look of pure pleasure on Lee's face. She knew he would have that same sexy expression deep in the throes of passion. 

Unabashed, she watched Lee thrust forward and back as he continued to knead her shoulders, trailing his fingers down her spine every so often. Images of Lee taking her in just this way flashed in her mind. At this moment, she longed to make the fantasy a reality. Maybe, she and Lee needed to revisit their decision to date a little longer before becoming intimate.   

He had to be thinking the same thing, since his eyes were fever-bright and arousal rode high on his cheeks. She could feel the heat pumping off him in waves. He leaned forward as if to whisper in her ear, his groin bumping against her. She could feel his erection through his jeans. Unabashedly, she wiggled back against him eliciting another moan from him.  

In the blink of an eye, Lee scrambled back, and off the bed.  "There you go. That should do it." He sounded like he'd swallowed a handful of gravel while running a marathon.  He started for the door.

She couldn't love him any more than she did at that moment.  There were no doubts, no uncertainties, and all her fears of just being another conquest faded away into nothingness. Scooting off the bed after him, she called him, hoping to delay his departure.

"Lee?" 

Slowly, he turned back to face her, desire clearly visible in his eyes. "I . . . ah . . . I'd better go and," he plowed his fingers through his hair, "set the table." 

"Don't go." She took a step closer to him. 

 He stepped back. "Dinner's getting cold."  

Peering over his shoulder, she eyed the bag he placed next to the phone. Dinner, for tonight at least was from one of those chain store delis. "Dinner's already cold." She walked toward him, backing him up against the wall. With nowhere to go, he held up his hands trying to ward off her advancement.  

Grasping his hands in both of hers, she placed them on the knot of her bathrobe sash, and whispered against his lips, "I want you to stay."

He swallowed once before lowering his mouth to claim her lips in a heated kiss.  

End