SILENCE AND PATIENCE

“yeah, pretty boy, you got a problem with that?” for the most part, her accent had faded over the years, but whenever paloma got annoyed, she sounded exactly like her mother. niko started listing off all the reasons he liked the game, and she nodded along thoughtfully, like she was taking in very important information, only scoffing when he teased her about sightseeing. “hey, listen, i’m just trying to get a good vantage point, okay – ” she was cut off by a sharp yelp when someone appeared behind her and killed her before she even had a chance to react. her shoulders dropped immediately, the disappointment settling over her whole body as she stared at the screen in disbelief. then she lifted one finger toward niko without looking away. “nope. nada. say nothing if you value your own life.”

paloma didn’t look away when he caught her. that would’ve been admitting defeat, and she’d rather die than hand niko something that easy. instead, she let her gaze drag over him one more time, slow and deliberate, before lifting one shoulder in a careless shrug. “i was thinking,” she said, like that explained everything. her mouth twitched when his grin widened. unbearable. absolutely fucking unbearable. “don’t get excited, viejo. i do that sometimes.” paloma shifted deeper into the chair, crossing one leg over the other like she hadn’t just been staring at him hard enough to forget what he’d been saying. “and liking you is a very strong accusation. i tolerate you.” still, there was warmth creeping up her neck, and she hated that he knew her well enough to notice it. her eyes narrowed as she pointed at him. “you’re only smug because your ego is huge – people are allowed to notice things without it becoming a whole event.” she stood and wandered closer, stopping just in front of him. paloma reached up, smoothing an imaginary wrinkle from his shirt while she looked at him through her lashes. “and for the record? you had something on your shirt.”

his nose might have been stuck into his phone, but his attention on paloma squirming in front of the mirror, his phone a clever cover for why he was staring into space. surely she knew what she was doing; there was no way someone looked this hot trying to get dressed.

"huh? yeah?" he's up on his feet at the pet name, his mouth practically watering at the favor requested of him. he nodded, swallowing the spit pooling in his mouth. "yeah, yeah. i got it."

blue eyes caught her dark ones in the mirror and he didn't waste any time in getting his hands on her. he started out with the best of intentions, his too cold fingers pulling against the strings to tie them into a tight bow against his back, but before he could get anywhere, his smile went dark as the idea started to grow in his head.

pulling her against him was barely anything, but the smile on her face only urged him on, smile curling further over his face. "i'm helping." innocence all over his face, soft laughter hiding just under his words. cool fingers stayed at her back and he tugged at the strings again, undoing what little work he had accomplished.

that had always been his problem, hadn't it? restraint was imperative to what he was and reverence was supposed to run through him, but almost nothing made it worth it to not push at the lines of the rules. "you look too good." he complained. "come on, it'll only take a few minutes." maybe he should have been more ashamed of that, but she knew better than anyone how easy it was to make him fall apart.

his hand dropped to the strings at her hips, letting his fingers tangle in them but not pulling at them yet. "baby, come on, i wanna swim," he echoed under his breath, fingertips digging into her hips. "really? do you? 'cause you're not moving very fast." paloma caught his wrist and beckett stopped, eyes bright and delighted, gaze dropping to her hand before sliding back to her reflection. the smile sharpened, smug and shameless, but paloma's hand was different than the old laws he ignored. not sacred, just a boundary that made him second guess his next move. "i didn't think i had to ask after you asked for my help, but hey, now that i know. i'll keep it in mind."

beckett was cute, and paloma was having fun with him. he was asking for a little more time, and who was she to deny him? especially if it meant he’d keep pressing his fingers against her skin like he couldn’t help himself. “i asked for your help tying the string, baby,” she murmured, eyes fixed on his through the mirror. then she twisted just enough to press her mouth against his chin, smiling up at him afterward like she hadn’t done it just to make things worse. the fact that he was so desperate to touch her made her want to be mean. just a little. maybe more than a little, actually. and she knew she looked cute in the little purple bikini, knew the color looked good against her skin, knew exactly what he was seeing when his gaze dropped and dragged back up again. her nose scrunched as she hummed thoughtfully, pretending to weigh the pros and cons while she pressed her ass against him, watching every little shift in his expression through the mirror. she let the silence stretch on purpose. let him sit with it. let him wonder if she was going to tell him no, if she was going to make him finish tying the string and drag him out to the beach like he wasn’t already looking at her like that. then paloma caught both of his hands and pressed them flatter against her skin, holding them there for a beat before guiding them upward slowly, taking her time until his palms settled over her breasts.  beckett was being so cute and needy, and paloma liked rewarding good behavior almost as much as she liked making him work for it. her smile turned wicked in the mirror, all pretty gloss and bad intentions. “i think we can take a few minutes,” she said, voice soft and teasing, eyes still locked on his reflection. “since you’re asking so nicely.”

his words floated around her, settling over her like a warm blanket, and for a moment, she nearly forgot how to speak. after everything they’d done together, babygirl was somehow the thing that finally undid her. it was almost embarrassing how quickly she fell apart when she felt his release inside her. heat spread through her body, her words failed her, and all she could think about was how warm she felt. how delightfully, utterly claimed she felt. the kiss against her shoulder made her smile. paloma’s chest heaved, then ached with something warm and unbearably soft when he gathered her into his arms. she looked up at him, face flushed, as he settled her against the sheets. and then he called her a good girl. that tender feeling returned immediately, tangling with the lingering heat low in her stomach. her head fell back against the pillow, one arm sprawling across her stomach as she watched him walk away. an ache settled beneath her ribs, and she sighed, the afterglow keeping her warm even while her mind ran wild. she wasn’t sure how much longer she could pretend this was only physical. when she heard his footsteps returning, she pushed herself up onto her elbows. paloma tilted her head, a teasing smile pulling at her mouth like she hadn’t just spent the last several minutes trying not to drown in everything she felt. “i’m sure you love that you can just fuck me stupid, huh?” she asked. “this can’t be great for your ego.”