Peaches and Old Spice

By AAnitaB

Chapter 3: So who's sending you flowers?

//God, you're beautiful.// He knew he shouldn't be staring at Jules at work but… damn. First, she was arguing with Spencer and fiery Juliet always drew his eyes. Second, she was wearing his favorite skirt. Tight and clinging from waistband to mid-thigh, Carlton knew from personal experience it was just stretchy enough to work up the gorgeous length of her thighs to her hips.

Just last week she'd wrapped those beautiful legs around his waist while his hands shoved that skirt up and pinned her to her bedroom wall.

And this morning it had been especially hard to drag himself out of her arms at the sound of her alarm clock. It was even harder now to stay where he was when every nerve in his body wanted him to cross the station floor and pull her back into his arms. Carlton wanted to run his fingers through that sweet, soft hair to pull her lips to his.

Right in front of Spencer, Gus, and the chief. Then she'd wrap her arms around him and make that tiny little sound in the back of her throat. The one that made all his nerves tighten and light up. The one that stripped him of any self-control.

//Down, boy. Hands off on the clock.// Carlton could not touch her right now, no matter how much he was dying to. No matter how good she'd feel in his arms. //My sweet Peaches,//

On their own, his fingers moved to the buttons of his cell phone. She'd been his for a month now and he should mark the occasion. The florist promised the bouquet and card would arrive in less than an hour. Carlton hid a smile in the rim of his coffee cup and pretended to get to his paperwork while really he was watching Juliet shine in the sunlight. //My beautiful Juliet,//

"You want us to investigate the moon landing? Shawn, are you serious?"

"Of course I am, Jules, always. Tell her, Gus."

"Well, Juliet, if you watch the video footage supposedly shot on the moon, there are numerous inconsistencies and the whole NASA story is full of logical flaws."

"Your insane conspiracy theories are not a case, guys. We do have real crimes to work on."

She was beautiful when she was angry… or smiling… or when she reached for him, melting from his kiss.

Making coffee wearing nothing but one of his work shirts. //Damn, Sweetheart, what you do to me…//

"Lassiter, help me out. Tell them they're crazy." He adored the look on her face as she turned to him. Fire and intelligence with a hint of the need he was desperate for. Carlton fought to focus on the words and not the things he might do to her to make that need get bigger.

"Spencer, you're crazy. Gus, you're crazy for putting up with Spencer." Carlton stood and gestured at both men. "And we're crazy for listening to the both of you as much as we do." Moving to her side, he folded his arms to control his hands. "Go sell it to the chief… if you can. Come on, O'hara, coffee's on me."

Turning on a heel, Carlton listened to her heels clacking as she followed him down the hall. //Almost there, darling, just a little further.// The hall turned in on itself in a little cul-de-sac. //Right here,//

"So where are we going for coffee?" He turned, caught her around the waist, and pulled his Jules close. "Carlton! Not here."

Even as she said the words, her hands slid up his chest. Her eyes were warming his lips. "What else could I do, my Juliet, you wore my favorite skirt and yelled at Spencer." Her curves called to his hands and they answered with a long slide up and down her hips. "What else could I do but try to steal a kiss?"

He watched her eyes flutter and her lips curve until the slide of her fingers into his hair made watching impossible. "No stealing is necessary, Carlton." Her words were whispered almost against his lips until he couldn't stand the tiny distance and crossed it. Soft, warm, and sweet, those beautiful lips opened to him, inviting Carlton to drown in the heavenly taste of her.

//Peaches, please…// Her hair tangled around his fingers as he helplessly pulled her closer, his other hand sliding down the clingy fabric of her skirt to her knee. "Coffee," Dragging himself back from her legs and her lips, Carlton watched her eyes slowly open, dreamy heat in her face. It was so beautiful he couldn't stop himself from taking one more tiny taste and pressing her closer for another breathless second of heaven. "How about McNeil's on ninth? With that chocolate cake I love to watch you eat."

"Hmm, okay. But only if you help me work it off later."

//Damn, Sweetheart, I love the way you think,// "Deal."

000

She didn't know how she'd missed seeing it for so long. Or how in the hell his bitch of an ex-wife could have ever let him go. Beneath the gruff exterior and rule-bound code, Carlton Lassiter was the sweetest man alive. He opened doors and pulled out chairs, all while never acting for a second like she was anything less than his equal. Juliet loved that she could strip him of his control with a touch of her hand or the raising of a hemline. She loved even more that he listened to and actually cared about her thoughts and opinions.

And it certainly didn't hurt that he had perfected all the ways to melt her into a puddle of mindless hormones. Damn, that man knew how to kiss.

As he'd demonstrated at their favorite little coffee shop. And again in the car. And if she had any say in the matter, like he would again tonight at home.

But right now, they were on the clock so she had to stay hands and lips off. Or try anyway.

"Hey, Jules, who's sending you flowers?"

//Shawn Spencer…//Her annoyance at finding him sitting in her chair at her desk slowed her response just a bit. //Flowers?//

Carlton shrugged at her questioning glance and sat against the edge of his desk for the best view.

"You're the *psychic*, Spencer. Shouldn't you tell us?"

Shawn, never one to miss a chance at an audience, put the card to his forehead and started promptly hamming it up. "I see a dangerous man, armed and very old…"

"Shawn, don't make me shoot you." Jules snatched the card out of his hand before leaning down to smell the vase of peach orchids and baby's breath. "Couldn't sell the NASA plot to the chief?" While he sputtered, she turned her attention to the envelope.

"Peaches, for a month of being the luckiest cop and man on the planet and for the scent of vanilla and peaches on my pillow… Thank you. Yours always, Old Spice."

//Carlton,// This was exactly what she meant. How the hell was she supposed to keep her hands off him after this…

Not a chance. Three steps put her toe to toe with Carlton's shoes with his eyes locked on hers. So much heat burned in his eyes. And like always, Juliet melted. "Carlton," Dragging him down by a fistful of his tie, she caught his lips with her own, adoring the strength of his response. Strong arms wrapped tight around her waist and big hands flattened against her back to press a sigh to her lips as the kiss deepened. Juliet let her fingers mess up his hair as her body helplessly arched in his arms. Carlton always felt so damn good. Hands pressed tight to the edge of her waist. She could feel him fighting the need to drag all ten of those fingers up and down her hips. He wanted to though, even in front of their audience.

//Shit,// Juliet dragged her hands from his hair and tried to pull back from his kiss. His arms opened, but slowly. And Carlton took advantage of every second to kiss her before letting go. "My sweet Jules," She knew people were watching but all she could do was watch the heat in his eyes and feel the tenderness in the slide of his fingers along her jaw. "I guess you like the flowers."

"I love the flowers, Carlton." She couldn't have explained the timing of it all, but this moment felt right. Even with a shell-shocked Shawn and Gus behind her and half the station stopped dead in their tracks, this was the moment to say the words she'd been holding back for days, longer, maybe weeks. Her fingers played at the seam of his shirt buttons as her eyes locked to his. "I … I love you, Carlton Lassiter."

His eyes widened, his lips moved wordlessly, and his hands tightened on her back. The rest of the room disappeared as he pulled her closer and tighter. "Juliet, sweetheart, I love you so much." Her feet left the floor as his arms dragged her up his body and his lips caught hers.

//Carlton, yes, please.// Juliet locked her arms around his neck and responded to those beautiful words with every inch of her body. She adored the heat of his kiss, the tight grip of his arms, and the hard strength of his body so close against her own.

"Detectives!"

//Damnit,// Juliet felt every muscle in Carlton's back tighten and jerk under her hands. A frozen moment later he lowered her feet to the floor and slowly opened his arms. His eyes apologized as his hands settled at her waist. Then his back straightened as if at attention.

"Yes, Chief." Carlton found the voice to answer, a good thing since she couldn't breathe enough to speak at all. Her legs barely held her up. Juliet leaned into the support of his arm around her waist.

"Is this what it looks like, detectives?" The chief's eyes flicked over her two head detectives and Juliet felt like the evidence was glowing off her skin. Carlton's touch and kiss had to be written all over her. She could see her touch and kiss on Carlton, in ruffled hair and a light smear of her lipstick on his lips.

"Yes, Chief, it is." Jules reached for Carlton's hand, smiling as he wound their fingers together. "Detective Lassiter and I are romantically involved and have been for a month." Carlton lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, causing the last couple words to come out breathier than the rest.

"A month… and this is the first time in that month that … anything … has happened on the clock?" She waved a hand in the air, eyes half smiling at them. Juliet felt Carlton's hand tighten on hers and knew he was remembering their first kiss in the interrogation room, a month ago. On the clock.

"Yes, Chief, nothing happened on the clock until today. And I take full responsibility for it. I should never have sent her flowers to the station. I apologize."

Now the Chief was smiling as she looked at him. "Flowers, Lassiter?"

Juliet watched with amusement as Carlton almost blushed and fought the urge to duck his head. She loved it when this always secure and bull-headed man was uncertain about anything. Then those gorgeous eyes locked on her face and he went about robbing her of breath. "They were almost as beautiful as she is."

"Carlton," She was helpless to resist his eyes and his voice, half leaning up for another kiss against her will. Big hands helped her to her toes and up to his lips. With the smallest little bits of her self-control, Juliet kept the kiss short before dropping back to her heels. "You are so sweet,"

"Sweet… Lassie's sweet!" She should have known that eventually Sean would manage to speak. The man was good at his job, whatever that was, but he couldn't shut up to save his life. Literally. "What is happening here? Gus, did the universe fall into a black hole? Is it opposite day? Jules, is this the prank of the century?"

Juliet smiled up at Carlton, adoring the soft smile and slight nod he gave her in return. The man in her arms loved watching her one-up Sean. And he usually showed his appreciation in a rather enjoyably physical manner. She turned to face their resident psychic and leaned back against Carlton's chest, pulling his arms around her waist to cuddle closer. "Yes, Sean, we set this up just to mess with your head. This is the first time we've ever touched each other like this and we're faking it just for the prank of the century. Just to psyche you out. Did you buy it?"

Sean's face went into his analytical mode, eyes flicking over the two of them from head to toe. Carlton nuzzled her hair and twined their fingers together, holding her even closer against the lines of his body. Juliet knew they both radiated a level of comfort and physical intimacy that just couldn't be faked at all, let alone quickly. "Damn, Lassiter, how did you really get her? I'd been trying for years!"

She knew she responded to the feel of Carlton's laughter rumbling against her back with a helpless little shiver in his arms and a clenching of her hands in his. "I paid attention to everything about her. Even when I shouldn't. Isn't that right, Peaches?" His lips brushed over the line of her throat, making any verbal response impossible.

Gus was just smiling, one hand on Sean's shoulder as if to somehow contain him. But it was, as usual, the chief who had the last word on the matter. "Go home. All four of you. I don't want to see any of you loons back in this building for at least 48 hours or I'll make it unpaid leave for a whole week." She threw her hands in the air and headed back for her office. "I can't take this much romantic sap without much stronger coffee or an insulin shot."

"You heard the lady, let's go." Gus had to push Sean a little to get him moving and gave Juliet a little wink on the way past. "Maybe we have clients waiting back at the office, Sean. Someone always shows up when we've been out too long." She could see Sean trying to resist, but Gus saw it too. His grip on his partner's shoulders changed enough to angle the 'psychic' towards the door. "Congrats you guys, we'll see you both soon. After Sean stops glitching."

Carlton made no move to get going until the office door closed behind the chief and Gus's shoulders cleared the next turn in the hallway. Then his hand slid to the small of her back and his lips moved to her ear. "Two whole days off. What should we do with the free time?"

Like he didn't know what every nerve in her body wanted to do right now. "Grab my flowers, we're going to your place. I'm driving." It was a bit of a struggle to get all the words out in the right order, but if Juliet didn't get his hand off her back and both of them out to the car, then the chief was going to see something she didn't want to. "Go, Carlton."

"Yes, Ma'am." The smile on his face and the rumble in his voice said he understood completely. "Let's go home."

000