Inner Demons

10

"Hey!" She says as I approach the table, getting up to hug me. "How'd it go?"
"Not as well as I'd hoped, but I'm glad that I went."
"Well I'm just glad you're back. Now I know how you feel when I'm away on a case."
I feel a weight fall off my chest as she moves on, not pressing me for details.
"Yeah, it kind of sucks doesn't it?"
"It absolutely does. But unfortunately..."
"You have another one."
"We do, but we don't leave until tomorrow morning." Her hand rests on my knee under the table, and I feel heat rising behind my cheeks. I clear my throat as the waiter approaches the table to take our order.

She takes my hand as I follow her up to her apartment after dinner, our fingers interlocking. My stomach flutters as her thumb rubs the back of my hand as we exit the elevator and walk down the hall. As soon as the door shuts behind us I grab her other hand, bringing it to my waist. She grins between kisses as she pushes me up against the wall, her right thigh pressed between my legs. My hips buck against her as she takes off my bra and shirt, lips sucking at the sensitive skin of my breasts. A moan escapes my throat as she removes my pants, tossing my thong aside before lifting me onto the counter. I lift my legs over her shoulders, crossing my ankles as her fingers brush my thigh. She brings her lips to my clit, her tongue brushing against it, teasing me. My hands grasp the back of her head as she slips her tongue inside me. I brush her hair back from her face and brace my hands on the back of her head. My legs tense, folding tighter around her as she works on my clit, her tongue rough and quick against my burning skin. I moan her name as I finish, legs spasming against her back. She stands up straight, a self-satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She leans into me, my legs trembling slightly as they dangle over the edge of the counter.
"This isn't fair," I say, unbuttoning her shirt and pushing it off.
"My clothes could wait, I just had to have you."
I brush a finger down her stomach before I unbutton her pants, slowly pulling down the zipper.
"My turn," I tell her, sliding off the countertop.
"Can you multitask?" she asks, looking over shoulder as she walks towards the bathroom.
"Absolutely," I reply as she starts the shower.

I wake up alone in her bed the next morning. I roll onto my back, staring up at the ceiling for a few minutes before standing up. I make the bed, tucking in the edges the way she likes it. My clothes from last night sit neatly folded on her dresser. I put them on, setting the t-shirt i borrowed in the laundry basket. I walk out of her room to the kitchen. On the counter is a note.
"Just in case," I read aloud, thumb brushing over the tiny heart drawn below the words. Beneath the note is a key. I pick it up, squeezing it in my fist. A key to her apartment. I grab my key ring from my purse, sliding it on. I remove the spare key to my apartment and twirl it between my fingers. I bite my cheek as I set it down on the counter. I know I shouldn't, that Ivan would kill me if he knew. But I have to return the gesture to keep her trust, and what's more, I find that I want to do it. Leaving this assignment is going to be difficult. I shouldn't have let myself get attached, that's the cardinal rule of my profession. If I were someone who cried, the tears welling up behind my eyelids would worry me. But I'm past that. I blink a couple times, setting my face. This is nothing more than a job. I just wish I could believe that.

As I walk out to my car, I notice a man leaning against it.
"Walk of shame, eh Katya?" Ivan says, opening the passenger door as I unlock the car.
"Shut up, douche. What are you doing here?"
"Jennifer Jareau's house is going to be empty today. We are going to check it out."
"She's an FBI agent and her husband is with the DC police. It's not going to be easy."
"I've been doing recon on their security. We've done worse."
"Well what are we looking at?"
"Basic alarm system, four-digit code. What's your guess?"
"Henry's birth year. What else?"
"That's it. But it's in the suburbs."
"Neighbors. They'll be quick to spot that your ugly ass doesn't belong."
"But I have a disguise," he says, gesturing to a plumbers jumpsuit I hadn't noticed.
"Right, because what plumber doesn't pull up in a Mercedes. Idiot."
"Watch it," he says. "I've got a plan."

His plan, as it turns out, is a dingy white van with a pipe decal on it parked in an alley a couple streets away. A smaller jumpsuit and a hat sit on the passenger seat for me. I climb into the back to change.
"Don't look if you value your eyes," I warn him.
"I'd rather keep my breakfast down."
He slams the gas as I stand up, sending me back to the ground. He cackles as I get back to the passenger seat with a sigh.
"Dick." I mumble as he turns onto her street. "Let's do this."