Moonlight

Oh god, what did I get myself into, thought Lena, not for the first time. Here she stood, basically in her birthday suit, still trying to decide what to wear. And it was already 6:30. She needed to decide what look she was going to go for, and quick. She glanced over her choices once more. She had the three outfits lined up on her bed. "I can go for the Ice Queen look, the Yes I'm Hot and Know It look, or the Sexy Urbanite look." Each of them would be equally stunning on her figure, but she didn't know what she vibe she wanted to give.

Sunny and Rory glided into the room. "Lena, you're going to be late if you don't make up your mind."

"I know!" she exclaimed. "I just can't figure out what to wear. You know what I mean, Sunny. What you put on will set the tone for the rest of the night."

"Okay," said Rory calmly. "That's understood. Then figure out what you want him to think. Do you want to jump his bones tonight?"

"Rory!!!"

"Hey, it was a valid question."

At Sunny's nod, Lena turned towards her sisters. "No, I don't want jumping of the bones on the list of activities for tonight. But I do want him to lick his lips thinking about it."

Rory piped in. "Then go for the sexy urbanite look. It's hot, but in a smart-still-waters kind of way. Not so much in your face, and not look-but-don't-touch."

"Good thinking," said Sunny. "There's enough flesh playing peek-a-boo, but you've still got lots covered up to leave to his imagination. And from the sound of it, he's got plenty of that."

At Sunny's words, Lena couldn't help but think about their last conversation. For hours afterwards, she had been breathless. Just the thought of doing all those things with him had her hornier then ever. She'd had to masturbate in the shower just to calm down a bit. And that hadn't even worked that well.

Rory interrupted Lena's train of thought. "Well, we'll leave you to get ready. And we'll stall him a bit when he gets here."

With that, the two of them left Lena's room, and she started to get ready. Twenty minutes later, she looked at the full effect. "Not bad if I do say so myself."

The fitted white dress hugged along her curves. When she turned around, the low-cut showed the flawless skin of her back right up to the where her ass started to curve. She topped it with a sleek black thigh-length jacket, just a tad shorter than the dress. Her long legs were accentuated by the red patent leather pumps. She'd smudged on a little eye makeup to make her eyes a little more dramatic, and dabbed on some of that sinful perfume she mixed up last week. Now for the final touch, she thought. She grabbed her favorite red lipstick. This will have him thinking some dirty thoughts, I'm sure of it.

Conor sat in the parlor, waiting for Lena to come down. He should have known better, what with Lena being a female and all. But still, he hadn't quite expected her to actually keep him waiting downstairs.

"It shouldn't be long," said Rory from the kitchen. "She should be down any minute. Are you sure you don't want something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine for right now. Thanks for the offer." He felt like a fool, sitting in the pretty, feminine room, clutching a bunch of flowers. The room was a soft green, and all along the walls were pictures and prints of mythical creatures. And these weren't your ordinary prints.

He glanced at the painting of the fairy in the corner. She looked out at you with Lena's smoky eyes and her expression had that "I dare you" look as she sat on the rock at the edge of the glade. A pool lay at her feet, and he'd swear that he could hear the chirping of crickets and the gurgle of water against rocks. There was a power to the piece, a certain air of mystery and magic that surrounded the fairy. And though he didn't know much about painting, he recognized a masterpiece when he saw it.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting long"

When he turned at the sound of her voice, he felt like he'd been sucker punched in the stomach. The fairy had stepped out of the painting and into the room. How can she look even sexier? She'd done something to her eyes so that they looked even more mysterious, more edgy. And god, those lips again. Every time he looked at her lips, he just wanted to bite them.

"Um... well... uh... no. I haven't long waiting been. I mean, I haven't been waiting long. Um, here," Conor shoved the flowers at her. "These are for you."

"Well aren't you sweet?" She bent her head low to breathe in the flower's fragrance. "That was very thoughtful of you. Sunny, could you put these in some water?"

"Course." Sunny grinned at Lena as she turned to head into the kitchen. "Thank you for the flowers, Conor." Lena lifted to her toes and pressed a kiss against his cheek.

Conor gulped. "You're welcome."

Smiling at his reaction, she stepped in closer. Tilting her head back, she gazed into his eyes. "Conor?"

He gulped again. "Yes Lena?"

A quiet sigh. "I'm hungry. Where are we going?" With a quiet laugh of victory, she started out the door, leaving him to trail after her.

"You kids have a good night!" shouted Rory. Selena turned to wave to her sister. She waited for Conor to open the door, then slid into the seat. He came around, got in and started the engine. She didn't know much about cars, but the growl and rumble of it told her that it was definitely one mean machine. Curious, considering he was only a local sheriff.

"So, really, where are we going?" asked Lena, as he pulled away from the curb.

Conor settled into the rhythm of driving. "It's a surprise. If I tell you, then it's not a surprise, is it?"

"Ah, a man of mystery? Okay, then, have your fun." Lena glanced out the window at the scenery passing by. She still found it amazing that they were heading out to a date. What happened to your senses? You're supposed to be the smart one. Mixing it up with the town sheriff is definitely not a smart move. She took a peek at Conor out of the corner of her eye. It may not be a smart move, but it's the first time I've felt a pull for someone in such a long time. She watched his hands as they gripped and maneuvered the steering wheel with such competency and assurance. She never would have thought those traits would be a turn on, but in him they were. Perhaps because of the fact that she had always been the one in charge of her family. It was nice to be with someone who wasn't looking to her for answers, but rather was taking the time to care for her. Even if it was just dinner.

Conor glanced over at Lena as she shifted to stare out the window. He'd never spent time with a woman that could stand being quiet. Most women he knew would fill the air with idle chatter, just words to fill empty spaces. The fact that both of them were perfectly comfortable in silence was, well, peaceful. No fumbling conversations, no awkward pauses. Just a quiet companionship. That was something he could get used to. However, he had to remember the reason why he had asked her to dinner. He wanted to get to know her. The real her. But that wasn't going to happen if she wasn't talking.

As he negotiated a turn through the mountains, he spoke. "So how long have you and your sister been residents of Silver Lake?" He knew the answers but wanted to hear them from her.

"We're going on two years now. Absolutely love it here."

"I'm surprised you three are out here. Seems to me like you'd fit right in with the city crowd."

"No, that's not us. We've always been small town girls. Never could get used to all those people. We're a little antisocial that way."

"Don't bite my head off for saying this, but I noticed."

"Well speaking of observations, I've gotta say. I don't know jack about cars, but I do know that this little baby isn't the usually sheriff's vehicle."

"You'd be right. My grandfather was a rich corporate guy. Liked to live large. I absolutely adored the old man, and he adored all of us. His family, that is. When he passed away, he left me the car as part of the inheritance. He knew that I always lusted after this car."

"Car lust?"

"Oh yeah. 1965 Mustang Convertible in Candy Apple Red." He looked over at her, stared at her poppy colored pout and smiled. "I've got a thing for the color red."

Lena couldn't think of a thing to say to that. Smart reposts are easy on the phone, but it's hard to think when you've got all that heat blasting at you.

The car wound its way along the mountains, passing through the thick forests, and heading toward the lights of civilization. Realizing that Lena had quieted down, he coasted through the scenery, and eased the conversation back to more trivial stuff. It managed to keep them talking until they got to the restaurant.

While they waited for the valet to come around to their car, she smiled coyly at him. "Chiaro di Luna? Pulling out all the stops tonight aren't you?"

"Well, not that there aren't some fine restaurants in Silver Lake, but I figured you wouldn't want to have people staring at you while we're dining. Plus I've heard they're the best restaurant around here. And you can never go wrong with Italian." He tipped the valet, but came around the car so that he could help Lena. He knew it was the valet's job, but he didn't want anyone else seeing those long legs sliding out from the seat.

Walking into the restaurant, he had a quiet word with the maître'd. The waiter led them to a quiet little corner table, with a view of the lake. Selena took a glance around her surroundings. As she sat down, she noted the romantic table candles, the murmur of weeping strings in the background, and the fantastic view. "Just a good Italian place, huh?"

"I wanted to make sure I leave a good impression."

Smiling softly, she replied, "Well, I'm definitely impressed. You seem to have all the smooth moves down pat."

Conor caught her eyes with his serious eyes. "What can I say? When I see something I want, I go for it, and I don't let anything get in my way."

Just then, the waiter stopped by to take their order. Selena was glad for the interruption, as it gave her time to think. She had never had someone chase after her so blatantly. Well, correction. Once she had, but it hadn't been an enjoyable experience.

Alone once again, she took a sip of her wine, continuing to watch him over her glass. "You know, there is a saying I once heard. You can't always get what you want."

"Ah, but there's another one I like to follow." She lifted an eyebrow at the pause. Flashing his boyish grin, he remarked, "Persistence pays off."

Softly laughing, she quipped back. "Failure is not an option?"

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

With a laugh, she raised her hands in surrender. "Ok, ok, enough. I give up. You are the king of clichés. I bow down to your greatness."

With a slow smile, he took her hand and laid a kiss upon her palm. There's that damn spark again, she thought. As the smile fled her face, Lena saw the predatory gleam return to his eyes. "Never have I had a more worthy opponent," Conor said, "What would you like as your consolation prize?"

"What are my options?"

"The sky's the limit."

Lena slowly drew her hand back, and lifted her chin in challenge. "Any particular date that I have to cash this in by?"

"Nope. It's an open-ended reward."

Just then the waiter appeared with their dinners. Saved by the food, she thought. She couldn't remember the last time she had engaged in such a stimulating conversation. And it was stimulating on more than one level. She looked up as Conor spoke.

"Witty reposts and sexual innuendos aside, I really do enjoy going after what I want."

With a small grin, she said, "The sheriff always gets his man?"

"Something like that."

"Is that why you went into law enforcement?"

"Partially. I enjoy the hunt and the satisfaction of catching my prey. You take that, and my need to fight for what's right, and it made this seem like the perfect fit."

"So what made you leave the big bad city of Chicago?"

"I got tired of watching the bad guys go free. You'd put in so many long hours, building an airtight case. Only to have the guys walk free because of a good lawyer, or some little technicality. It seemed like every time we put one of the bad guys away, another one took his place."

Lena looked into his eyes. "I can see where that could become frustrating."

Conor sighed. He hadn't wanted to get into his past, but rather learn more about her. But if opening up his old wounds gained her trust, he was willing to pull the scab of himself. "Yeah, that's one way to look at it. I love what I do though, and I didn't want to get completely burned out. Luckily I had someone there to knock some sense into me."

At her quizzical look, Conor sheepishly continued, "My best friends Chase and Ethan. They got tired of my complaining. Told me if I didn't like what I was doing then I should change it. So I made some inquiries, put in an application for the position, and the rest, you could say, is history."

"I get the need for change, especially when you feel like there's nothing left," she said.

Conor reached out with his left hand and captured her fingers. "What do you mean?"

Lena pulled her hand back and reached for her wine. Even after all this time, the memories were agonizing. She couldn't forget that night. The images of her parents. The wreckage of her home, her life. And the blood. She would never forget all the blood. "A long time ago, my parents were murdered. Sunny and Rory were still in school and we didn't know what was going to happy. All we knew was that everything that we thought we knew changed. The girls didn't feel safe at home anymore. So we packed up everything we needed and left. Haven't looked back since. And though it was the hardest decision to make at the time, it was the best thing we could have done."

Lena looked down at the table. She didn't know why she told Conor about her parents. She had always guarded her past so zealously, but something about him drew her in. She felt safe with him, protected.

A hand cupped her cheek, wiping away the tears that had fallen unknowingly. Startled, she looked up into his eyes. There was no pity, only compassion and something a little deeper than affection.

"Sorry about that," she said, shaking her head. "Not exactly the best topic for a date, huh? Sure I haven't scared you off yet?"

He didn't laugh or smile at her attempt for levity. Conor merely stared into her eyes, as if he were searching for something. She has no idea what she does to me, what she means to me, he thought. All that strength, wrapped up in silk and satin, fire and grace. She could mean the world to me and crush me at her feet.

"Don't worry," he said. He realized that she was still shaken and didn't know how to get back on track. He eased back, dropping his hand from her face. He could still feel her cheeks against his fingertips. Shaking his head, he grinned at her. "It takes a lot more than that to get rid of me. Plus, I still owe you that consolation prize." Lena smiled with relief at the change in topic and the two continued with their dinner.

After finishing of the plates and indulging in more mild small talk, the waiter dropped off the chocolate mousse dessert that Conor had ordered earlier. Conor took a forkful of the decadent dessert and lifted it to her lips. She moaned at the richness of the mousse. He froze when he heard that low sound, so hard that it took all his strength to keep himself from reaching over and tasting her lips. You're here to get to know her, not to ravish her, he reminded himself. If you're lucky, that comes later. To distract himself, he asked "So why did you want to open your own shop?"

"Well, it was all Rory's idea. When we decided to move this last time, she decided that we should try and find a home, and not just a house. We all wanted to come to a small town in the Northwest and wanted to be somewhere that was far away from the bigger cities."

"That explains why you chose Silver Lake but what about the store?" he replied.

"All Rory on that one too," she laughed. "She knew that I've always enjoyed dabbling in herbs and natural remedies. She said that with my background and education, this was something I should pursue. So I got my license, scrounged up the money for the down payment, and voila! I'm a shopkeeper."

He shook his head at her simplified answer. "You make it sound so easy, when I know that it's very difficult to run your own store."

"It's like any other job," Lena countered. "I just take it one day at a time. I'm grateful that the store provides enough income to support the three of us. The sense of security it provides is immeasurable."

After they finished there meal, Conor steered her towards to car as they discussed music and movies. With the evening winding to a close, Lena could feel the intimacy wrap even tighter around them. I could fall for him so easily, she thought wistfully. If only... She shook her head to clear that thought out of her mind. No use in going there. Keep it light. Remember what Sunny said. "I can't believe a guy who would have the great taste to listen to Ella Fitzgerald would sink so low as to say that Rambo is his favorite movie."

Clearly affronted, Conor replied, "Hey, look who's talking. You say that you love Louis Armstrong but say that sappy movie Pride and Prejudice is one of the best all time movies. That's got to violate some sort of universal law somewhere."

Reaching the car, she turned to face him. "I see that having your man card has obviously stripped you of the ability to appreciate the subtle complexity of Jane Austen."

Conor stood silent for a while, staring down at her. With moonlight washing over her, she looked even more like the fairy from the painting. With a sudden, irrational fear, he worried she might slip from his grasp and be lost to him forever. He leaned toward her, cupping her face in his hands. "well now, maybe you can help me with that subtle complexity thing."

She looked up into his eyes. The rest of his face was covered in shadows, but his midnight eyes were so clear in their intent. Realizing he was going to kiss her, she had a heartbeat to make a decision. Then the moment passed and his lips brushed against hers.

Oh, I'm in trouble, she thought. This kiss was nothing like the first. Where before it had been a tempest, this was a peaceful lagoon, tempting her to sink into its warmth. From somewhere came a dreamy sigh. Her body melted into submission against him, clinging to his shoulders for support. His taste was like the chocolate dessert, rich and sinful. He eased away and took a deep breathe. He saw her eyes, like smoke, all hazy with passion.

He blew out another deep breathe. "I think that's enough subtle complexity for one night. I better get you home before I go for any more. Our sisters will start to think I'm having my wicked way with you."

As she slid into the care, she felt her head start to clear. Turning to him as he got in, she smirked. "You think so? Pretty sure if we're gone too long, they'll know that I'M having my wicked way with YOU."

With a grin, he started to reply, only to be interrupted by the CB in the car. Jolted, she stared as he picked up the handset. She hadn't even noticed that it was there. You're slipping, Lena, she thought. Even now, when it was just the two of them, he would never really leave the badge at home. It was who he was, not what he wore. Seeing the worried look come across his face, she focused on the conversation and caught the tail end of the relay.

"Sheriff, we have an attempted 459 at 184 Driscoll Lane."

Conor threw a worried glance at Lena as he replied, "10-4, on the way." He threw the car into gear.

"Conor, what's a 459?"

"A break-in."

Lena grabbed his arm, her pulse racing in fear. "Rory's home alone, Conor."