You shouldn't Kiss me like this, a criminal minds fanfic

Here is my submission to the Valentines day challenge on Chit chat on Authors Forum. My promopts were: Rossi/Prentiss for the pairing,: You shouldn't kiss me like this (Toby Keith) for the song, champagne, a team night out, dancing. I got the pairing, the song, a team night out and dancing in here.

A big thank you goes out to flashpenguin, she really helepd me with this. story.

You shouldn't kiss me like this

Emily Prentiss leaned up against the bar sighing deeply. The team had been invited to a Valentine's Ball by JJ - the Department of Defense was putting on sort of a 'Hands and Hearts' gesture to build camaraderie. The team was there making their rounds - Morgan and Penelope were on the dance floor having fun with some of the younger agents, while Reid was talking to an older agent. Hotch was in a corner speaking with Will and JJ.

"It doesn't look like you're having fun." Dave came up to the bar; he set his half filled beer on the bar and turned so he was facing Emily.

"I didn't have high hopes for tonight," Emily explained reluctantly. "I only came because JJ invited us and I've missed her."

Dave nodded in understanding. "Same here," he said. "Still, you should at least try to have a good time."

Emily blew out her breath in one long stream. "Good time? A good time would have been watching 'Love Actually' with my cat and a bowl of popcorn."

"Didn't you have a date?" Dave looked around. "I thought you were coming with James or Rob or whatever his name is…was."

"Steve," she groused. "Something came up. Where's your date?" she returned, her eyes teasing. "I thought you were busy working on the fourth Mrs. Rossi."

Dave took the stool beside her. "Seems that she too had 'something that came up' at the last minute."

"Seems to be going around." She looked at the couples on the floor, then at JJ and Will. Her heart squeezed painfully. "At least where some of us are concerned," she muttered.

"I'm thinking about heading home in a few. This isn't really my scene, though the DOD did have the best of intentions to help promote Valentine's Day for us."

"That was money well spent," Emily commented dryly.

The song in the background changed from a slow song to the faster paced "Just Dance," by Lady Gaga. Dave grimaced as though the song was causing him intense pain.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked as she sipped her beer that had grown warm. "Don't you like today's music?"

Dave's lips twitched as he considered replying in a way he could never take back. "I wouldn't exactly call this 'music'."

"It's Lady Gaga."

"Lady who?"

"Only one of the most successful performers… Ah, forget it. At least it has a beat and you can dance to it," she argued.

Dave glanced at the moves Morgan was doing with a beautiful brunette who was wearing next to nothing. He didn't know whether to be excited or disgusted with the gyrating and grinding.

"I wouldn't exactly call what they're doing as dancing," he quipped. "It's legalized public love-making."

Emily gave a short barking laugh as she looked at the older agent for a long moment. "So I suppose asking you out on the floor would be moot. And here I thought I might get to see your famous moves," she teased

"If something from The Little River Band or Chicago were playing, I might consider it." He sipped his beer and scanned Emily from head to toe. "Until then, I think I'll go find Hotch and see if he has any earplugs. Or Tylenol." Stepping away from the bar, he left her to her thoughts.

Taking another sip of her beer, Emily blanched, and then pushed it away. Dave was right; maybe it had been the best of intentions gone awry. She should call it a night and go home. Glancing at her watch she noticed the time: a little past nine. She could still catch 'Love Actually' on the cable channel…for the umpteenth time.

A tap on her shoulder caused her to turn around. Blinking, she tried to place where she had seen the short, frumpy, average looking agent before, but came up blank.

"Emily?" the man asked. "Emily Prentiss?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

"It's me Jacob. Jacob Herring," he prompted, "from the FBI Academy. We went out for pizza once before graduation…?"

"Jacob. How are you? Still with the FBI?" she asked politely.

"Actually, I work for the Undersecretary of Defense. I've been there for about a year."

"Congratulations." The two of them drifted into an awkward silence until Jacob decided to speak again.

Jacob looked Emily over. "You still look good."

"Thank you." Emily looked around at the team and found them preoccupied. She was on her own.

"I was wondering…if you…would you like to dance?" he asked bluntly.

Emily opened her mouth to speak but stopped. She shook her head. "I…thank you, but I don't dance."

"Yes you do! You mean to tell me you've forgotten that bar dance you did to 'Glamorous Life' that night the ten of us went out and you had one too many whiskey sours?"

Emily felt her cheeks grow hot at the memory. "That is exactly why I don't dance anymore." She checked her watch again. "I hate to cut this short, but I have to go. I think I left my cat outside."

"Aw, come on, just one dance," Jacob begged. "Unless you're seeing someone…"

"I…" Emily desperately tried to come up with something, someone, anything but couldn't.

"Please?"

"You know? I am seeing someone, but…he's running late. He should be here any minute."

Jacob gave her a wide grin. "Is that the 'cat' you left outside?" he joked. He grabbed her hand and pulled her forward on to the floor. He started what appeared to be an attempt at bump n grind, but Emily had no idea what he was doing. She could feel eyes staring.

"I can't do this," she shouted over the music. She pulled away slightly but found Jacob's hand pulling her closer.

"Come on, just dance," he shouted back. Then he laughed. "Get it? Just dance; like the song."

Emily felt his hands go to her hips. Inwardly she groaned. Of all the nights she had to leave her service revolver at home. If his hands go any lower, I am using my purple belt on him, Emily promised herself.

Over in the corner where Dave, Hotch, JJ, and Will were sitting, the conversation was stilted by the commotion on the floor.

"Well, it looks like someone finally peeled Em away from the bar," JJ remarked, motioning to the dance floor.

Dave twisted around in the chair and looked at the scene unfolding. For a moment, he wanted to laugh as he watched Emily and the man on the floor. She must have really wanted to dance if she was partnering with a man nearly four inches shorter than she. At least he thought it was funny until the man decided to try and place his hands on Emily's…oh no he did not!

The song changed to something slower and less painful. In fact, he knew the song, but he was torn; should he go out and rescue Em?

"What are you waiting for?" JJ chided. "Here's your chance, shed your Lothario image, become a knight in shining armor."

Dave continued to hesitate and Will gently pushed him forward, "Go," the New Orleans native said, "be her knight in shining FBI standard issue body armor."

Then Dave saw the look - the desperate glance Emily shot his way: Get me out of here! It read.

"Hotch?"

"You're off the clock," was his only reply. What the heck? After all it was Valentine's Day and his agent was in need of rescuing.

Getting up from the table, Dave strode quickly over to where Emily was. Tapping the short man on the shoulder, he cut in.

"Emily! There you are!" he greeted and quickly pulled her into his arms.

"Dave -" Emily sputtered, caught off guard.

"Do you know him?" Jacob asked.

"I'm her boyfriend." Dave stared down at Emily shocked expression, he quickly winked at her, trying to convey that she should play along. "Sorry I left you here by yourself; I had to finish filing that last minute report, but you know what a stickler Hotch is about paperwork."

"We were dancing," Jacob protested.

"Were." Dave corrected, he turned to Jacob, Emily still in his arms. "I'm cutting in. Now get lost," Dave growled and left Jacob to fend for himself as he swept Emily across the floor.

I've got a funny feeling
The moment that your lips touched mine
Something shot right through me
My heart skipped a beat in time

"Just go with it," Dave whispered in her ear as he pulled her closer. He felt as rush go thru him as her body molded to fit with his. She was so perfect. So soft. He tried to remember to keep his hands where they belonged, but it was getting more difficult with each passing second.

There's a different feel about you tonight
It's got me thinking lots of crazy things
I even think I saw a flash of light
It felt like electricity

Emily tried to get her thoughts together. Once second she was trying to fend off an octopus named Jacob and the next second she was being whirled around the dance floor by Dave Rossi. She should have run. She needed to run. But he felt so good. And dear Lord, he smelled wonderful. He was so close…all she had to do was turn her head.

You shouldn't kiss me like this
Unless you mean it like that
Cause I'll just close my eyes
And I won't know where I'm at
We'll get lost on this dance floor
Spinnin' around
And around
And around
And around

Dave glanced out of the corner of his eye. They were being watched. He could see Jacob wrestling with himself and begin to walk over.

They're all watchin' us now
They think we're falling in love
They'd never believe we're just friends
When you kiss me like this
I think you mean it like that
If you do baby kiss me again

"Emily?" he whispered. "He's coming back; go with me." Before she could respond, Dave covered her mouth with his. So sweet and slow his lips moved against hers as his arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. As his tongue outlined the seam of her lips, he begged for entrance. With a low moan in her throat, Emily let him in.

Everybody swears we make the perfect pair
But dancing is as far as it goes
Girl you've never moved me quite
The way you moved me tonight
I just wanted you to know
I just wanted you to know

The moment Dave kissed her, Emily felt her world tilt. It took a second to realize he really was kissing her. Then when his tongue touched hers and sought out the dark recesses of her mouth, she felt her world being yanked out from underneath her. Her knees went weak; her blood raced hot…her fingers curled in his hair. She knew that it was all for show, but she didn't care. They were all watching, but that was okay; she was kissing Dave.

Reluctantly, Dave pulled back. The coast was clear. Jacob was gone, but his heart was racing fast…too fast. He had never meant to kiss Emily, but the moment he had, he felt the electricity rush through his body at lightning speed. It was nothing he had ever experienced before. With any woman, until now. He watched her as she opened her eyes. It had to be the day or the excitement in the room. Unless "it" had finally happened.

Emily opened her eyes. Dave was staring at her. Was that regret in his eyes? Oh, please God, anything but that. She licked her lips. "Is he gone?" she whispered. She wanted to run, but his arms were still around her waist and her hands were still curled in his hair.

"Yes." Dave refused to move.

"That was nice. A little over the top, but nice."

"It was better than nice, Tesoro," he corrected.

"The team is watching," Emily observed reluctantly.

"Yes they are." He could feel the teams' eyes on them. Looking over, he saw the silly grins on Garcia and JJ's faces. "Since we already fractured the rules, what do you say we break them all the way?"

Emily's eyes searched his face. She felt her heart fall. "What do you mean?"

"I felt it when I kissed you. Did you?" he asked in a low seductive tone.

"It could have been coincidence."

"You don't believe in coincidence." His hand reached up and cupped her cheek.

"So, what do you want to do?" Her heart raced as the lyrics blared around them.

They're all watchin' us now
They think we're falling in love
They'd never believe we're just friends
When you kiss me like this
I think you mean it like that
If you do baby kiss me again
Kiss me again

"Kiss me again," he growled.

She didn't say anything, just went up on her toes to press her lips to his once more.