Realisation

Gym

Nikki didn't really know why she had gone to Jack's gym. She wanted to talk to him about the case, but it really could have waited until tomorrow. She had to admit that she was curious about this mysterious part of Jack that she hadn't yet understood. It intrigued her, his need to fight, to hurt and be hurt. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to punch someone for fun, for sport, what would make someone want to do that. He'd told her that it gave him a release from his guilt, but he'd never said what that guilt was, and she thought it must be pretty bad for him to want to punish himself in this way.

She asked for him at the door, and was pointed in the direction of a room. She hesitated before knocking. 'OK, nearly ready' came an annoyed shout from behind the door.

'It's me' she said, assuming he would know who 'me' was.

The door opened a crack and Jack's face peered out. The shock was evident on his face, but he opened the door further and stood back to let her in.

It couldn't really be described as a changing room, it was more like a disabled toilet, and Nikki smirked to herself at how unprofessional it all was. She turned around, intending to make a joke about it, but when she laid her eyes fully on Jack for the first time since she'd arrived she  stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes opening wide, feeling as if the breath had been knocked out of her. Only a pair of shorts covered his strong, muscular body, the rest was on full display. She felt her eyes involuntarily moving all over his body, and she swallowed deeply as a thought popped unbidden into her head of those big arms holding her down, pinning her under that body, and she felt a flush creeping over her face.

She dropped her eyes and started rambling about the case.

'Nik, Nikki' can you help me wrap my hands' she heard him say. She continued rambling, she couldn't stop herself from talking, and she had no idea if what she was saying was making any sense.

'Nikki, please can you help'

She lifted her eyes again and caught his. Her breath hitched as she saw the spark in his green eyes.

She went over to him and knelt down, taking his large hand in hers as she wrapped the tape around his fingers. God he was so big, so muscular, so fit. Her actions slowed, as she slowly wrapped the tape, relishing the contact with him, taking notice of his long fingers, his big powerful hands. Her eyes moved up his arms. His strong forearms, his huge biceps, broad shoulders. His chiseled jaw, his green eyes. She gasped as she realised she'd stopped wrapping his hand and was just holding it, her eyes roaming over him. 

'Nikki' he said impatiently. 'I have a fight to get to, please'

She felt her face flush red. She quickly finished wrapping his hand and he stood up, holding his hand out to help her up from the floor. As she took it, he pulled her up and into him, her body colliding with his. Their eyes met, and he grinned at her. 'Come and watch' he asked, his eyes glinting.

Nikki shook her head, unable to find any words to come out of her mouth. What the hell was wrong with her. This was Jack, who she worked with every day. Why couldn't she speak to him, and why did she have a sudden urge to kiss him and feel his body against hers.

Jack had picked up on the feelings from her, it was pretty bloody obvious, she couldn't take her eyes off him. Keeping hold of her hand for longer than was necessary, and feeling very brave with all the adrenaline surging through him, he bent down and gently brushed his lips over hers before he was gone, out of the door.

Nikki was left standing there, alone, in shock. Jack had kissed her. She brushed her finger along her lips where his had been seconds earlier, feeling a tremble all over her body. She paced the room. 'God Nikki' she thought 'Get a grip on yourself' But he was so fit. How had she never seen this before. Those muscles, those eyes, that Irish accent. Thoughts kept popping into her head, Jack pushing her up against a wall, his lips on hers, his hands snaking up her dress.

She felt hot, flustered. She shouldn't be thinking of Jack like this, but she had seen a new side to him, and she felt like she wanted, no, needed, to see more. She knew she should leave, if she was here when he got back then she knew something would happen. There were clearly feelings between them, and once they did something about them there would be no going back from it. He was her colleague, she worked so closely with him day after day, did she really want to make it anything more than that. But she felt compelled to stay, she wanted to see him again, to see him after his fight.