A Personal Interest: Book I by Pari

Everything had happened as Reese figured it would. He had Finch track Rodney’s cell number like a GPS which lead Reese right to his location. Reese then called Rodney to tell him he saw what happened to that little girl, knowing that it would panic Rodney and cause Rodney to try to better dispose of the body. When Rodney and his friend went to where they had stashed the body in some old abandoned warehouse, Reese and Fusco were right there with them. It was what Fusco had called an easy arrest given that Reese had already supplied him with the panties that had the little girl’s DNA as well as Rodney’s all over them. Taylor was safe and two child murders were off the street. Reese thought the news was worthy of celebrating and so he picked up a bottle of wine on his way back the safe house. When he entered the apartment it was dark, all the lights had been turned off, but he could see the silhouette of Carter seating on the sofa facing the large open window. She had her legs tucked underneath her on the couch and she seemed unaware of his presences as she gazed out the large window behind the couch.

“You’ve started without me,” Reese’s low voice seem to boom in the room. Carter looked to where he stood, her gaze one of confusion until he nodding towards the opened half emptied vodka bottle that sat atop the the coffee table.

“Oh, yeah…I’m sorry I just really needed something,” She paused she searched for the right words. “Strong…but I’ll buy you another bottle to replace that one.” She offered.

“Don’t worry about it,” He said as he placed the bottle of wine beside the empty vodka bottle.

“So how did your mission go, is Taylor safe now or will he have to keep looking over his shoulders?”

“He’s safe. I take it he told you about what happened, what he witnessed?” Reese asked and Carter nodded as her eyes instantly watered up.

“Yeah he did,” She confirmed. “My poor baby, I never ever wanted him to be touched by the ugliness I have to see day in and day out. That’s part of the reason I do what I do, to protect him. I don’t even know what hurts the most the fact that I couldn’t protect him from what he saw or the fact that he didn’t feel save enough to come to me and tell me about it.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it Jos. You’re a good mom and Taylor knows it, even if he acts to the contrary.” His words brought a smile to her lips and she turned a bit in the seat, and stretched out her arm across the back of the arm where his rested and she placed her hand atop his.

“Thank you,” Reese opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. “No I mean it, thank you. Thank you for saving my life and my son’s life, thank you for being here. I’m beginning to wonder how the hell I got my job done before you came along to help me out.” She half joked with a wide smile. Reese watched her a moment, fixated on her lips.

“You have a very beautiful smile,” Reese said surprising both of them with his admission.

“Thank you,” Carter replied and she coyly ducked her head before she looked back up directly into his eyes.” You have very beautiful eyes.” She commented as she gave him a compliment to even the score, hoping to relieve the embarrassment she could see on his face. Reese smiled as he averted his eyes. “Whoa are you blushing?” Carter teased as she moved her head to the side to get a better look at his face which he had turned a bit from her gaze. “You can’t take a compliment can you?”

“Well,” Reese began around a chuckle. “I’ve been living on the streets for the past year. No one wanted to get close enough to see how beautiful my eyes are. So I guess I’m just not used to compliments.” He stated as he playfully batted his lashes and his words made Carter scrunch up her face in a scowl, even as she smiled at him.

“Yeah I remember when I first met you, oh you were definitely ripe.” He chuckled at her words.

“And so what’s your excuse?”

“My excuse…are you saying I stink?” She asked self-consciously as she lifted the collar of her blouse to her nose.

“No I meant why can’t you take a compliment? I’m sure you hear them all the time.”

“No like yourself I am not used to them, I am however used to very crude sexual remarks about my…attributes. But I hardly consider those compliments. Present company excluded I haven’t had any man compliment me since,” She actually had to think on it a moment before the face of a man who had long since died popped into her mind and instantly the smile faded from her face.

“Since your husband?” Reese spoke out filling in the gaps.

“How…” She began to question how he knew she had been married but then rolled her eyes and closed her mouth. “Nevermind, forget I asked. My husband is off limits ok?”

“Ok,” Reese agreed seeing by the look in Carter’s eyes that it was a sore subject and so he wouldn’t pursue it. “So how’s Taylor?”

“Sleeping, he was upset which is understandable giving what he saw. He cried himself to sleep, broke my heart. I haven’t seen him cry since he was 6 or 7.”

“And how are you?” Reese asked as he leaned further back in his seat. In reply she reached out and grasped her vodka filled glass from the end table. She lifted it a bit in a cheers gesture and then put it to her lips. Before she could drank it all down as she had intended to, Reese grasped it from her hand and finished it off himself.

“This is a temporary fix, trust me.” He offered as he swirled the ice around in the glass.

“I know but it takes the worries away and makes me feel good, even if it’s just for a little while. I really need that right now.” Carter said as she reached for the glass Reese still held.

“There are other things you could do that will accomplish the same thing.” He said and she arched her brow as a smirk crossed her lips.

“Well, what did you have in mind John?” Carter teased as she batted her lashes at him, and then she burst out in laughter at the stunned doe caught in headlights look on Reese’s face. “I’m kidding, not that I would mind having some mind blowing sex right now.” She mumbled as she snatched the glass for his hand and moved to pour herself another shot.

“No, I wouldn’t mind that either,” Reese replied and once again stunned Carter with his words. “But I was referring to a friendly game of Call of Duty 4.” Carter raised her brow as a very wide smile graced her lips.

“Yeah I think spanking your butt in Call of Duty would make me feel much better.” She said as she set the glass back on the end table and then rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

“Oh I’m not going to let you win just because you’re drunk and licking your wounds.” Reese stated as he stood and offered her his hand which she accepted. She allowed him to pull her to her feet.

“Let me win? Ha! Yeah you may be some badass ex-CIA agent, but don’t think you’re the only one in this room who can handle themselves with a gun. Oh and I’ll have you know that I am not drunk I just have a slight buzz. Not that it matters because I will never be too drunk to whoop your ass in Call of Duty,” Carter offered as she put her hands on her hip and rolled her neck a bit.

“All right, show me what you got.” Reese said as he waved his hand toward the big flat screen TV mounted on the wall just above the stereo system and several gaming consoles. The two settled in for a couple of hours of gaming, and true to their words; Reese didn’t go easy on Carter and Carter had no problem whooping his ass.