Page 58 of Chaos has a Name (An FBI Romance/Thriller #66)

She loved a steamy ride, and he wanted that connection to her more than anything.

As she straddled his lap, he held his erection still. As he did, she slid down, and he filled her.

Together, they both moaned.

As she began moving, her forehead was on his, and they were staring into each other’s eyes.

“Bethe,” he whispered, as his body tingled from the need that was rushing through his body.

He was on fire.

For her.

Elizabeth dropped her head back as Christopher filled her, and teased her to the edge. With his hands on her hips, she enjoyed the ride.

His moan was so loud, it reverberated off of the walls of the shower.

Thank God when they redid Timothy’s cabin, they made the space so much bigger.

Who were they kidding?

They’d cram themselves into a closet to have moments like these.

“God!” Chris muttered. “Hurry, Bethe! I can’t hold on long.”

Already, she was making the climb. The whole time, in this position, he was hitting that perfect spot, sending shockwaves through her body.

“Almost. There.”

Oh, he hoped so.

His control was frayed and already, he could feel himself ready to fall.

With or without her.

As his vision wavered, from the sheer amount of pleasure that he was feeling, she shouted his name.

And came.

“Orion!”

Chris felt that heat, heard his name, and lost control of his body with her. Together, they made that tumble into the pleasure.

As one.

As she stopped moving, he wrapped his arm around her body, and they rode out the pleasure together. While it wasn’t the longest, wildest bout of sex, it was more to fill up their empty cups so they could both keep doing what they did best.

Surviving.

In the afterglow, they took their time, and he could feel her leaving gentle kisses on his throbbing artery.

Then, he heard the sigh.

“Was that a good sigh or a bad sigh? Because I can go another round.”

She actually laughed.

“It was contentment. I don’t need multiple rounds. I just needed you.”

Oh, thank God.

Because he really couldn’t do more.

His brain was struggling with being back here, and his libido was no longer in control. Chris was worried about her and all of their family’s wellbeing.

“Good because I’m not lighting the world on fire with sex today. I’m glad we have all bones. I don’t think I could do a marathon of autopsies today,” he admitted.

And it wasn’t often he said those words out loud for anyone to hear.

But she understood.

A girl could only do so much.

When he put his hand on her back, right on her shoulder blade, he felt her flinch. That was when he knew she was hurt.

Oh, Jesus.

“Is your shoulder injured?” he asked, knowing her vest got beat to hell, and her watch, but he didn’t know her shoulder blade was injured.

She lifted her head, and shrugged.

“It’s no worse than usual.”

Yeah, that worried him for quite a few reasons.

“Roll it for me.”

She snorted.

“I’m naked in the shower, you’re buried in me, and you want me to roll my shoulder?”

He stared into her eyes.

“Just humor me. It’s been a long week. First Ethan’s trauma, then three days of getting ready to come back here, and now this. I’m a man on the edge, Elizabeth. Let’s not ruin sex with an argument, okay?”

Yeah, now that…

She got.

Moving her arm, it rolled well, and she didn’t struggle. While it was sore, he’d not bust her balls over it. She could still pull her gun and do her job.

Yeah, they had this conversation a lot here.

For.

Sure.

What was it about this place that brought out the stress in all of them?

When she got up, she stayed under the spray for another minute, cleaning up from their gentle lovemaking. When she was done, Chris got her into a towel, and dried himself off.

She sat there, staying warm in the bathroom. The chill from the rain was dissipating.

“Want me to help you get dressed?”

She shook her head.

“I’m going to stay in here for a while. It’s steamy, and feels nice. I just need to regroup.”

Honestly, Chris really wished he could stay. Only, they had all of her clothes in an evidence bag, and her blood that needed to get driven to the FBI building for later when the techs got back.

She knew what he was thinking.

“Go. I’m good here. I’ll wander out in a few. I’m sure Ethan or Callen will be waiting for me.”

Why did she want to stay in there?

That was easy.

Elizabeth didn’t want to go back out. In fact, she wasn’t sure she could. Her brain and body were taxed, and she was buried.

In emotional trauma.

Because he needed it more than she likely did, Chris kissed her on the top of the head, and then got into dry clothes.

“I’ll come check on you,” he said. “Okay?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“I love you, Orion.”

He smiled at her.

“I love you, Sweetness. We’ll be okay. We always are. In the end, all that will be left are the Blackhawks and cockroaches.”

God.

She hoped so.

As he took the evidence and blood, she sat on the closed toilet and took that time to deal with what was going on in her head.

And it finally happened.

She.

Broke.

Down.

The sobs came, and in the privacy of the room while she was alone, Elizabeth began mourning.

For Wyler.

For her sanity.

For her strength.

She’d just come off of a horrible case where she had to take a life, and while Elizabeth could decompartmentalize, at some point, there was only so much she could take.

What she needed was a break.

As she sat there, trying to be quiet, but struggling since the emotions had won over, there was the soft tap on the bathroom door.

Oh, God.

She wasn’t ready to face anyone.

When the door opened, just a little, a head popped in, and it was Gene.

She wasn’t sure whether to be worried or not. The man tended to tell Ethan everything, and she didn’t want to burden him with her breakdown.

He was fighting his own battles.

“I heard you crying,” he admitted. “Are you okay?” he asked.

What she meant to say was yes.

What came out was anything but.

“No, I’m not okay. I’m freefalling, and I don’t have a parachute,” she whispered.

And that was his cue.

In that moment, he could go get Ethan or Callen, but honestly, they were in no better shape than her. He’d left them downstairs, wrangling the kids for transport, and they were busy.

So, he was going to take a chance.

Elizabeth needed someone, and he’d let her lean on him for this. After all she’d done for him, and Ethan on that last case, he wanted to be there for her.

For once.

Moving into the room, he knelt on the floor in front of her and wiped her tears with his thumbs.

“Are you on an emotional rollercoaster over all of this?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Need someone to ride it with you?” he asked, willing to help her if she needed him.

Once more, Elizabeth nodded.

That’s when he took over.

Scooping her up, he carried her to the bed, and with one hand, pulled the blankets back. Still holding her, he toed off his shoes, and then placed her in the middle of the big bed.

Then, he climbed in.

At first, he wasn’t sure if this was what she needed. He didn’t know much about soothing women, but he just did the same thing he’d do with Ethan when he was inches from falling and breaking.

He opened his arms, and she moved into his body without hesitating.

And he held her.

The whole time, he let her mourn.

Instead of talking, Gene let her get it all out and he held her up.

When the tears slowed down, then, and only then, he kissed her on the temple, right next to her stitches. She would be okay.

All Elizabeth needed was some time.

“It’s been a rough week,” he admitted. “We flew to Philly, and dealt with some horrible things.”

She nodded.

“Then, you took a life to save mine, and I know it’s not easy.”

She said one thing.

“It was worth it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat for the people I love.”

Yeah, he agreed on that.

He would do the same for his family too. Killing Javier Hughes was the highlight of the week, but his issues with the man went back over twenty years.

She’d been blindsided by it.

“Then, we have a baby born, and we find out Wyler is dying.”

He heard the sniffles.

“And now this.”

She nodded.

Elizabeth wasn’t a pussy. She could handle a lot on her shoulders, but she was seriously at her max. This place just magnified it.

One more thing, and she was taking the bridge.

“It’s a lot to have to deal with,” he admitted. “What can I do to make it easier for you? All you have to do is tell me. If you can’t, I can do what I normally would when Ethan was struggling.”

Elizabeth was honest.

Honestly, she appreciated the man.

“Just stay with me for a bit. I was so scared that I wouldn’t get back. I just need a minute. Please.”

Oh, that he understood.

They’d been terrified they’d never see her again. That was mutual between all of them. Worry was all of their middle names anymore.

Closing his arms, he pulled her deeper into the bear hug where she could feel safe. When she cuddled down into his body, the tension began slipping away.

“We were so scared we lost you,” Gene admitted.

“It was a sucker punch to the gut. I don’t think any of us could breathe.

I’m beyond grateful you’re safe and okay,” he admitted.

“Losing you would suck. I love you, Elizabeth. I’m sorry I didn’t say it more.

You’re valuable to me, and I wouldn’t be able to fit in here without you. ”

She sniffled even more.

While she shared Ethan with Gene, there was not an iota of sexual attraction between them. What there was between them was mutual affection.

“When I found Ethan again, I found something unexpected. I found even more love. I will love you forever, and I can’t wait to get back to our home so I can marry everyone else in this amazing family.”

She took in the scent of Gene’s body spray, and it was cathartic. It was funny how he’d worked his way deeper into her heart.

“I love you, too, and I can’t wait for that day to come. I’m not wearing white. I’m not a virgin.”

That made him laugh.

“You think? We all know you’re a ho.”

That made her snort.