Confessions

It was official. He was gonna kill her. When he'd said casual was good, he'd been referring to his feelings for her, damn it! Now, watching her take another shot of tequila with Morgan and three of the homicide detectives from the Nashville Police Department, he knew that what he felt for the shapely blonde was anything BUT casual. No this was deep. And personal. She was HIS.

"Problems, Dave?" Hotch asked, sliding onto the stool next to him.

"What makes you ask that?" Dave growled under his breath.

"Perhaps the fact that you've been staring daggers at the local leos table for the past half hour," Hotch replied conversationally. "You know, all this could be eliminated if you'd just tell her how you feel."

Taking a pull off the scotch in his tumbler, Dave mumbled, "You don't know what you're talking about, Aaron."

"Bullshit," Hotch said flatly. "You two aren't quite as good at flying under the radar as you'd like to believe. Or was that another man I spotted slipping out of JJ's room in Indianapolis last month?"

Looking over at where the other man sat perched on his bar stool, Dave growled, "Exactly how long have you known, Aaron?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Hotch tipped his long neck to his lips. "About three months, give or take."

"And the rest of the team?"

"Morgan and Emily figured it out last week when it appeared you were going to kill that cop in Tampa for slipping his arm around JJ. Garcia's known since she caught you guys on one of the surveillance camera's in the parking garage last month. Reid still doesn't have a clue. Of course, given his propensity for burying his head in the sand regarding relationships, he probably won't know until one of us tells him."

"True," Rossi snorted, narrowing his eyes on the young blonde woman as she tossed back another shot.

"You've got to admire a woman that can play quarters with that much skill though," Hotch remarked.

"Yeah, there's a goal to aspire to," Dave growled.

"So, are you gonna step up and stop being a coward or screw around playing the "casual" game until you lose her?" Hotch asked curiously.

"Hotch-," Dave said, a clear note of warning in his voice.

"Oh, come on! That's what you told her, isn't it? That you wanted to keep things casual? You can't blame the girl for playing by your rules, now can you?"

"I thought it WAS what I wanted at the time! Hell, I never thought six months down the line I'd still be…"

"Addicted to her?" Hotch grinned.

"That obvious?" Rossi sighed.

"Only to someone who's known you as long as I have," Hotch replied. "But, trust me on this, Dave. JJ is a for keeps kind of woman. Yeah, she may talk a good game but, at heart, she wants forever after. And, look around, man. Those guys would give their left nut to have a forever after with her. You really want to keep going down this road. Cause I gotta tell ya, after a while, she'll cut line."

"What if I can't be what she deserves, Hotch? I don't want to hurt her. Christ, I'm in love with her. And, if you know anything, I usually end up destroying whatever I love!" Dave ground out.

"Would you rather lose her to somebody like that?" Hotch said, nodding to the younger men at JJ's table. "Hell, Dave, do you think any of those assholes could love her as much as you do?"

Watching as one of the detectives they'd worked with slipped his arm around JJ's waist to pull her against him, Dave clenched his jaw. That idiot was getting dangerously close to a line he didn't want to cross. Relaxing infinitesimally as he saw JJ push the other man away, Rossi nodded. Rising, Dave flashed Hotch a look. "Thanks," Dave said softly.

Tipping his beer at the older man, Hotch nodded. "Good luck," he murmured as Dave made his way quickly toward JJ.

***

She felt him behind her. She always knew when he was near. It was as if her body had radar where he was concerned. He'd been covertly watching her all night and she had wondered if she'd be able to push him into making a move tonight. It appeared her efforts hadn't been in vain. She'd spent the last hour alternately laughing and flirting, hoping she'd finally push him into showing some emotion. It appeared that her efforts had met with success as she felt him wrap a warm hand around her arm and gently pull her around to face him.

Bending to murmur in her ear, Dave asked, "You ready to go? We've got an early flight tomorrow. Come on, I think Morgan's gonna be awhile and I'm not letting you walk back to the hotel alone."

Gazing up into his darkly handsome face, JJ decided to push him a bit further. "I'm sure one of these gentlemen will make sure I get back to the hotel."

"No problem, Agent Jareau," one of the local officers said with a slow smile. "I'll make sure you get anywhere you wanna go."

Tightening his grip on her arm, Dave glared at the younger man. "Not necessary. JJ will be leaving with me." Staring down at her, David said in a low voice laced with heavy warning, "Let's go, Little Girl. Now."

Shrugging her shoulders, JJ followed him as he pulled her toward the back entrance to the bar.

No sooner had he pulled her through the dimly lit doorway into the back alley than he'd backed her against the building's wall.

"Something you want to say, Dave?" JJ asked, made braver by the half a bottle of tequila she'd tossed back during the evening.

"What the hell are you playing at, Jennifer?" Dave asked harshly.

"Playing at?" JJ asked innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was playing a drinking game before you hauled me out of there…do you have some kind of problem with that?"

"What I've got a problem with is you allowing those morons to put their hands all over you!" Dave growled.

"You mean like you do?" JJ asked angrily.

"No! I mean, yes! Hell, I don't know," Dave yelled, bending over her.

"Make up your mind, Dave!" JJ snapped angrily. "I'm gonna get whiplash trying to follow your line of thought! I thought we were just casual," JJ sneered. "Casual means you shouldn't give a damn if I screw another man, right?"

Crowding her body against the wall, Dave narrowed one eye at her. "Stop pushing, JJ. I think you've done enough of that for one night by making me watch those asses put their hands on you!"

"Fine!" JJ said, shoving at his chest. "Why don't I just go back inside and see if one of the boys will escort me back to the hotel since I obviously seem to have pissed you off!" JJ said, turning back toward the door.

"The hell you will. Go anywhere near any of those men again and I swear to God, I'll snap them like a twig," Dave thundered, slapping his hand to the door above her head. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

"Careful, Dave. You're starting to sound possessive. And we both know, that's against the rules, right? I mean, you're the one that set the damn mandates. I'm just trying to honor your requests."

"Stop, Jennifer. I mean it!" Dave hissed. "I've had about as much as I can stand for one night!"

"Or what, Dave?" JJ said, lifting her flashing eyes to stare at him. "What the hell are you gonna do?" she asked, her tone daring him.

Feeling his control snap, Dave wrapped a warm hand around the nape of her neck and jerked her soft body toward him. "You're about to find out," he growled before his mouth crashed down on hers. Nipping at her lower lip, he took swift advantage of her gasp, his tongue thrusting past the parted seam of her lips. Sweeping his tongue forcefully against hers, he felt her body soften against his as he backed her against the wall. Framing her tiny waist in his hands, he slid his hands under the fitted white shirt she wore. Stroking in and out of her mouth, he fit himself intimately against her. "You think any of those fools in there can give you the pleasure I do, JJ? You think any of them can play your body like this?" he asked against her lips as he fondled her breasts, his thumb strumming against her aroused nipples.

"Would it bother you if they could?" JJ asked between deep kisses.

"You're goddamn right! And they're never gonna get the chance! You're mine!" Dave growled, backing her further into the shadowy corner of the building.

"Since when?" JJ fired back, catching her breath as he sucked at the rapidly beating pulse in her neck and his hands cupped her buttocks, pressing her into his aroused body.

"Since the first fucking time I touched you," he hissed against her ear. "I don't share!" Ever!" Roughly kissing her again, he reached to unzip the fly to his pants.

"You said--," JJ began breathlessly, thrilled that finally after all these months she seemed to be getting what she wanted…needed. Him.

"I don't give a damn what I might have said! I was wrong, damn you! There's not a goddamn thing casual about this. You fucking did it, Jennifer! You made me love you, damn you. Now, pay the fucking price," he bit out, wrenching her short black skirt around her hips and lifting her into the corner of the building as he thrust into her wet heat.

Legs automatically twining around his waist, JJ linked her arms around his neck as he thrust against her. Moaning as his lips found her breast through two layers of material, she bit back a scream as he sucked sharply. "Dave," she gasped, trying to hold on to her sanity.

Pounding more deeply into her, Dave shook his head against her neck. "Shhh….just give in to it, Jennifer. Let yourself go!"

Riding his staff as he thrust against her, JJ arched her hips into his. "Anyone could come out here," she whispered frantically.

"Part of the thrill," Dave groaned, biting at her neck as he manipulated his fingers against her throbbing passion slicked bundle of nerves. Hearing her high pitched mew of pleasure, he smiled against her neck, thrusting faster.

Release found them simultaneously. Pouring himself into her, he captured her scream of fulfillment with his lips. In the aftermath as her head fell heavily against the crook of his neck and her legs slipped back to the ground, he smoothed her skirt back down gently over her legs. Leaning heavily against her, he whispered against her hair, "I meant what I said, Jennifer. I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered against his chest as his hands made soothing passes over her back. "I have a confession to make," she said softly, wrapping her arms around him.

"Yeah? What's that, honey?" Dave asked in a quiet tender voice.

"I never wanted casual with you. There were days that I thought casual was going to kill me. Casual sex with you hurt way too much," she confided.

Holding her soft body against his, Dave closed his eyes. "I've got a confession of my own. Contrary to what I told you, there was NEVER anything casual about the way I felt about you. I was scared. I don't want to fail you, JJ. I wanted to let you go…to let you find the kind of man you deserve, but watching you inside tonight, I knew I couldn't. I wanted to kill someone, honey."

"I'm with the kind of man I deserve. I'm with the man who loves me," she replied, raising her eyes to meet his.

"May God have mercy on your soul," Dave muttered.

"He already showed mercy. He gave you to me," JJ whispered, lifting her lips to his.

THE END