Chapter 6
Tim's words kept running through Julie's mind as she tried, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep. "I'm not a puppy; I'm not your brother; I'm a man. And you are a very attractive woman. Sleeping in that bed with you is not exactly going to give me a better night's sleep." She wasn't sure if it was the fact that he freely admitted his attraction to her, that he didn't try to take advantage or if it was the fact that he stood up for himself, but his comment really got to her. Such was the subject of her thoughts when she finally drifted off to sleep.
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Tim tossed and turned, mumbled and grumbled, and tried to the best of his ability to get to sleep. It wasn't working. And his problem was no longer the lovely lady sleeping in the other room. It was the stupid floor. He rolled over and looked at the clock on the computer desk. 0215. He was miserable. And the thought of going to work on no sleep filled him with dread, and more than a little fear of Gibbs' reaction.
He listened to the even breathing coming from the other room. He looked at the clock. 0322. That was it; he was over it. He stood, leaving his make-shift bed in disarray, and walked into his bedroom. She was asleep. What could it hurt? She had invited him to share the bed, anyway. But what if she woke up to find him there and got the wrong idea? He would have to wake her first.
"Julie, scoot over," he said with a nudge, making sure to rouse her from her sleep. "I'm sorry, but I just can't handle the floor," he apologized.
"S'okay," she mumbled, turning over onto her side away from him.
Tim slid into his comfortable bed with a happy sigh. Finally, he could sleep.
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She was trying to kill him. That had to be it. Admittedly, he had never heard an actual account of someone dying from sexual frustration. But he was seriously starting to wonder. He had finally gotten to sleep, and now this. Ms. Malloy had rolled over to cuddle against him in her sleep. Her right leg was draped casually across his body. If only his body would react as if it were a casual occurrence. No such luck. Maybe if he lay really still… No, not working. Maybe he could just move her leg. He nudged her leg slightly, but it only succeeded in making her wiggle. That was NOT the solution.
"Julie," he said aloud. "Julie," he repeated, a little louder.
"Yeah," she answered.
"Ummm… you need to move your leg, or you might not like what happens next," he warned, his voice husky with arousal.
Julie slowly became aware of her surroundings. She vaguely remembered Tim waking her to tell her he was going to sleep beside her. At the same moment she was able to make sense of the words he had just spoken, she felt his very large reason for wanting her to move pressed against her inner thigh. She came instantly awake. She began to move her leg away from him slowly. He groaned. She blushed.
"Sorry," she said. "I guess I like to cuddle."
"It's okay," he said, as he caught a glimpse of his bedside clock. 0454. "Just go back to sleep.
"Yeah, right," Julie mumbled to herself. She had never been more embarrassed in her entire life. To make matters worse, she had been dreaming about him when he woke her. If her wits had not come to her in that moment, she and Tim could be doing something very different right now than trying to sleep. And, unfortunately, those were the thoughts she couldn't banish from her mind. She kept trying to remind herself that he wasn't at all like the type of guy she normally dated. It didn't seem to matter anymore. The only thing she knew for certain was that she wanted this man who was finally sleeping beside her.
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Tim moaned when the clock went off at 0600. That was not enough sleep. He raised his hand up to his face and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked over at his unexpected roommate, who has sleeping with her backside molded to him. He slid out of bed slowly, so as not to wake her, and made his way into the living room to dress. After pulling on his clothes, he washed his face and brushed his teeth in the sink, and then brushed his hair. He was in the process of pouring a bowl of cereal when he heard her.
"Tim?" she called. She walked into his living room in a t-shirt and pair of underwear, her hair all over the place, rubbing her eyes. He smiled.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said with a smile. She grumbled.
"You look sleepy," she said. "You should call in sick today."
"I can't do that," he said matter-of-factly. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Want some cereal?" he offered. She grinned.
"Dinosaur cereal?" Julie asked incredulously. He shrugged. "Don't mind if I do," she took a bowl from the cabinet and filled it. "Thanks," she held out her spoon as if in a toast. "To sleepless nights," she said.
He groaned, and tapped his spoon to hers. "Here, here."
"I'm sorry last night was so uncomfortable," she apologized.
"Not your fault," he said between bites.
"But still…"
"Still not your fault," he smiled. "Whatever you do while I'm gone today, do not go anywhere. There's plenty of food. Make yourself at home. Don't open the door for anyone but me or Fornell. And if my home phone rings, don't answer unless it is my cell phone calling," he instructed, writing his cell phone number for her.
"Yes, sir!" she saluted him.
"I'm serious," he said softly.
"I'll be fine," she assured him, rubbing his arm. "And don't tell anybody at your office about this," she reminded him. "No one."
"I won't. Scout's honor."
She smirked. "I'm sure."
Without thinking he bent to give her a hug goodbye. The difference between last night's hug and this morning's was her state of dress, or lack thereof. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looked deep into his eyes, rose onto tiptoe and kissed him. This was not the kind of kiss you give puppies or brothers, but the real thing. Tim responded to her kiss by kissing her back. His mouth was warm and supple, soft… his kiss was heaven. She whimpered in the back of her throat. He moaned. Tim guided her until her back was against the refrigerator, and then ran his hands slowly up her sides. She gasped as his hands barely touched the sides of her breasts. He moved his hands further up, taking her arms from behind his head and capturing her wrists in his hands. He held her wrists against the refrigerator and deepened the kiss even further. Julie was so weak with desire that the only thing keeping her standing was the knee he had pressed between her legs and the pressure of his body against hers. After what seemed like hours but was in fact mere minutes, Tim broke the kiss.
"I have to go," he said huskily. "I'll be back in a few hours."
"I'll be here," she promised.
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