for neednewthrill

[bettercop]

Lisbon had tentatively agreed to have dinner with Walter Mashburn on Christmas Eve. Dinner. Maybe more. But highly active part of her mind that thrived on twisting things around so that they were easier to accept had already asserted that this was not at all a date. People could eat dinner, and enjoy each other without it being a date. Avoiding

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[neednewthrill]

Walter locked his car and quickly leaned down to look in the side mirror to check his tie. He'd dressed nicely for dinner--suit and tie--but not too nicely. He was well aware that wooing Teresa would require him to be at the top of his game.

He didn't mind that, though. He'd always enjoyed a challenge and he positively relished this one. After all, victory was so much sweeter when he had to work for it, and Teresa was a prize more than worth the effort.

Satisfied with his appearance, he quickly made his way to the CBI offices. He slowed his pace as he approached Teresa's office because, well, he didn't want to appear too eager. She already knew he was interested--no need to overplay it.

"Merry Christmas," he said, leaning in her door. "Time to put away work and relax."

[bettercop]

She'd been expecting him any minute, so the voice didn't startle her. Turning away from the whiteboard on her wall, where she was filling in a few details from their latest case, Lisbon regarded him with a nonchalant expression that belied her intrigue. He looked good, there was no doubt about that, and if she didn't say it in words, the look in her eyes betrayed everything.

Capping the marker and setting it down, she ran her hand over the back of her coat, draped across her chair.

"Someone's eager," she teased.

[neednewthrill]

"Eager? No, not me," he scoffed. "I'm merely punctual."

He took a few steps into her office, hands in his pockets. He was a bit chagrined that she'd read him so easily but then, he wouldn't find her nearly so interesting if she weren't so smart. Besides, judging by the expression on her face, she didn't mind a little eagerness on his part.

"However," he said, smiling. "I will admit to the possibility I would not have been so punctual for anyone else."

[bettercop]

She just raised her eyebrow slightly, and made a slight sounded like a skeptical, "Uh-huh" as she finally took her coat off the chair and came around to the front of her desk so that the gap between them was lessened to a few mere inches. She did not, in fact, mind a little eagerness from him; in fact, it was a turn-on.

"You hungry?" There was a double entendre in that question, if one was paying attention to the flicker in her eyes. And it was entirely deliberate.