NYPD: Fighting Temptation Ch. 04

"So did you like it?" Aiden asked as they walked out of the theater. He already knew the answer, since he stole sideways glances at her and saw the expressions on her face. She was absolutely loving it, and he was glad. He knew from his boss that she had been working overtime on the cold case when a new one had stumbled into her lap. Comm. Rollands and Aiden had a father-son type relationship. It was Rollands that was his mentor at Juvie and it was him that suggested he become a police officer. He also recommended him for Detective and to the FBI profiler gig. So Aiden knew that Rollands had hand picked him to work with Davis for a reason. After being briefed on the case, he figured it was due to public outcry for justice, which they were not able to provide thus far, but after meeting her he figured it was due to her inability to give herself a break and she'd eventually burn out, like he did.

"Yeah, it was really good. The suit was amazing!" Khalilah had really enjoyed herself, but she hoped she didn't sound like a geek.

"Yeah those were some ridiculous special effects." Aiden countered.

"Did you like it?" Khalilah asked trying to keep the conversation alive. She knew that long pauses led to long gazes and she was not prepared for the latter.

"It was great, one of the better comic-into-movie films." Aiden was holding the doors for her as they walked out of the theater. As she passed, he made sure to check out that ass as it sashayed towards the parking lot. Although petite, she had some sexy curves. And the curve of her ass was causing him to have dirty thought of bending her over her desk while he rode her from the back.

"Brooks, hello? Brooks." Khalilah had been calling his name for at least a minute and she realized that he was completely absorbed in his thoughts. What could he be thinking about that had him almost comatose, she wondered and before she could ask her cell began to ring.

"Hey Shell, we are just leaving the movies now, I hope you're not waiting by yourself" Khalilah had just realize the time and noticed that they were running a bit behind schedule.

"Hey no no, I was calling because I am a bit late, but now I don't feel so bad.." Shell giggled on the other end and Khalilah had to smile.

"Okay well we're on our way, see you in a few." With the click of her phone, Khalilah turned half expecting Brooks to still be daydreaming, but she glimpsed a smile on his face that made her heart skip a beat and cause her to stammer as the next words dribbled out of her mouth.

"Hey, umm...that was Shelley, she's just heading to the club now - " Khalilah felt silly as she explained herself not only because she was stumbling over her words, but also because Brooks was still smiling his sexy smile at her while she spoke. Khalilah began to feel a bit self-conscious, as if she maybe had something in her teeth. As she began to fidget Aiden snapped out of his state and began to walk towards the car.

"Come on, we're gonna miss out on all the fun, standing here." He called to her. He glanced back and noticed a look of confusion on her face but knew it was for the better that he walked away. He was really intrigued by her but he knew he couldn't have her no

matter how badly he wanted too.

"No thank you, I don't drink." Khalilah explained for the third time that evening, and was hoping Shell would hurry up and order so they could move away from the bar and back to their low key spot. As Khalilah turned back to her friend, Shell had just received her signature mojito and without even the thought of bringing it back to their seats, gulped down the drink like she was trying to win a race. Shell was the drinker of the two and Khalilah didn't even bother giving her the usual shpeel of "taking it easy", knowing that it never really did much.

"Hey, don't you think you should slow down on them drink?" Aiden asked as Shelley washed down another mojito. He looked over to Davis for some backup, but she just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Listen, handsome, I know I might be petite in comparison to you, but I'm a big girl who knows how to handle her alcohol...but you're cute for being concerned." Shell smiled and patted Aiden on the shoulder and announced she was heading back to the dance floor.

Khalilah nodded and told her friend she'd come join her soon. When she was out of earshot, Khalilah was about to apologize for Shell's rudeness when she was suddenly cut off.

"Where the hell were you to back me up?" Aiden shouted, not out of angry but to be heard over top of the loud bass beat. Although he was a bit annoyed that Davis hadn't agreed with him in regards to her friend.

Khalilah sat there with her jaw practically unhinged on the bar table at his outburst. "Well there goes my apology" she thought to herself and to think, she was really enjoying their time together.

"I'm sorry-" she began, but again was cut off by her overzealous partner.

"Well I accept you apology, but I really think she should be-" Aiden began, trying to point out that even though it was their day off, there was still a killer out there who preyed on people in this environment.

"First off, that was not an apology, second Shell is my friend and I can tell you from prior experience that she could probably drink you under the table. Third, if you haven't noticed the dynamics by now, Shell does what she wants, when she wants and rarely lets other people tell her what's up." Khalilah was steaming mad and she was losing her control. She knew exactly what Brooks was trying to insinuate and she was pissed because it insinuated that she didn't have her best friend's best interests in mind; which was completely untrue.

Seeing that he was beginning to piss her off, Aiden tried quickly to out the flame, but knew he'd still get a little singed. "I didn't mean to suggest that you were a bad friend, it's just the work we do we see girls like Shell in body bags all too often, because some sick bastard sees her as an easy target and I'm trying to prevent that. And I have noticed the dynamics between you two, but I think you sell yourself a little too short, I think if you told Shell your opinion she'd listen to you."

"Well thank you for your concern, but you don't know shit, because I didn't even want to go out tonight and yet I ended up at a movie with you as my date and at this new club with a DJ who has ruined my love for Ne-Yo by playing Closer at least 15 times in the last hour." The last part, khalilah said as a joke to lighten up the conversation again, because she didn't want Brooks to go all Dr. Phil on her. As she mock frowned, Khalilah noticed Brooks began to laugh and she felt her stomach knot up at the sight. He was a gorgeous man and even more so when he smiled or laughed. But as his laughter subsided so too did the elation she felt in her heart. She definitely was not his type, not by a long shot.

As he finished laughing, Aiden noticed Davis' sudden sadness. It wasn't obvious to the untrained eye, but he saw it and wished that whatever it was, he could fix it.

"Hey, um why don't we go and join Shell on the dance floor? It's not Ne-Yo anymore and sitting on this couch is making me tired." Aiden held out his hand for her to grab, but she clearly was contemplating whether to take it. Aiden was about to lower it, when Khalilah tentatively placed her hand in his and without a word followed him to the dance floor.

~~~~~~

He watched as she and her friend Shell, as she so affectionately called her made their way to the bar. He watched as a few men attempted to buy her drinks, but being the classy woman that he knew she was, she politely declined. He wondered what lame ass lines they tried to use on her, knowing that she was too sophisticated for that. "Idiots," he thought to himself "you're not even worth breathing the same air as her." The nightclub was not her scene it was Shell's, who was a regular at other places so he wasn't shocked to see her at this one, but when he saw her....he knew it was a sign. He had been fixated on her from the moment she had walked in the doors. He was about to get closer, when he noticed that she wasn't alone. "Who the hell is he?" was his first thought. He knew she didn't have a boyfriend, so maybe it was one of Shelley's friends. But that didn't stop the immediate dislike he felt for the unknown man she was with. "Stop getting so distracted!" he grumbled to himself, he was there for a reason and he wasn't going to fuck up because she was there too. If anything, this made the game even more exciting.

~~~

As they walked through the crowd, Aiden's grip got tighter around her hand and she felt a hot flush travel across her body. He glanced back every so often as to make sure it really was her hand he was holding. When he would, a smile spread across his face and she was always the first to break eye contact.

"What are you doing?" she asked herself, knowing that he was only being polite, but hoping that underneath it all it secretly meant more. "He's your partner and nothing more, he's just being nice" she repeated like a mantra and was so consumed by it that she didn't realize that

E had stopped walking and walked right into his chest. "When had he turned around?" Khalilah wondered, but was quickly drawn back to reality when Brooks' hand slid down her cheek to rest on her chin.

"Hey, is everything alright? You seem dazed." Aiden had lowered his lips to her ears so he wouldn't have to yell, but by doing so he also felt the heat radiating off her body and practically tasted the sweet fragrance she was wearing.

Khalilah was definitely mesmerized, but nervous at the same time, so not wanting to show him his effect on her she didn't move away. Instead she got up the nerve and whispered back.

"I'm better now." Initially, she wasn't sure if it had made the effect she wanted, but as she pulled away, she noticed that his hand had slowly made its way to the small of her back, which was slightly exposed allowing Brooks' fingertip to gently stroke her sizzling skin. The look that past between them was feral and the body language was electric. So in that moment Khalilah decided she would take a page from Shell's book of life and "follow her instincts". She moved closer to him, her hands now on his muscular forearms. Brook's continued to gaze into her eyes, his head lowering to hers, but this time it was Brooks that looked away first, and as he did, Khalilah felt the life drain from her.