Complicated

Chapter Forty: A Southern Thing

Gulf breeze on the porch
Me and my honey rocking back and forth
Light it up again with my kin and friends
Underneath a yellow moon
Sweet dream New Orleans
Mississippi River running over me
Pretty Momma come and take me by the hand
Don't mock what you don't understand
It's a Southern Thing

Better Than Ezra - A Southern Thing

Grace was an idiot. It had been exactly twelve hours since she had left the crime lab last night and yet again she was here on her day off because she had left her charger in her desk drawer and her cell phone had run out of battery. She thanked Christ she wasn't on call otherwise Mac would have shot her for being so careless. She had been exhausted when she had left the lab last night, her mind had been on the mental shopping list she had been devising instead of the more important things like the charger.

Grace let out a deep sigh as she hit the button for the elevator with her palm. She removed her lime Green Ipod out of the pocket of her black woollen jacket so she could flick through the songs. The buds of the slim lined machine were placed firmly in her ears as she concentrated on the song titles that flew by.

Grace buried her nose deeply into the blue and green chequered scarf around her throat, inhaling the familiar scent of Don on it's folds. She had borrowed it again this morning on her way out of the door. He had left it hanging on the wooden coat rack along with that charcoal coloured overcoat she liked so much.

Despite their intense love making last night she had still missed his presence in their bed. When he was away she cuddled up to his pillow burying her face in it to inhale his masculine scent to help her sleep. Grace was ashamed to admit his absence from her daily routine was making her crazy and lonely.

It pained her not seeing that boyish smile light up her day and she thought that was borderline pathetic. She wasn't the type of girl who freaked out over being apart, she was strong independent she had a life outside of her marriage but Jesus she missed him like hell when the two of them were on opposing shifts.

Grace took a step forward as the elevator doors opened, her attention still focused on the song list in front of her. It was her fault when she clashed with someone stepping out of the elevator. The Ipod flew out of her hand disconnecting it from the headphones and clattering to the floor.

As soon as their body's collided Grace knew who this man was. His lean hard body still felt wonderful when it pressed up against hers, his sharp decadent scent was still the same as it flooded her senses and she wondered how the hell that was still possible after two years. Grace crouched down scrambling for her Ipod before yanking the headphones out of her ears and wrapping them around the Ipod before raising to her feet to face him properly.

"Woah there cher. You running out on me already?" Jack Faraday drawled in that smooth Louisiana accent that made every single woman in the room sit up and pay attention.

Jack used his finger to tip her chin up so she could meet his oceanic eyes. Her heart practically stopped beating in her chest as she took in his well sculptured facial features. His five o'clock shadow was fashionable, extenuating the masculine ruggedness he alluded. His shoulders were broad but his frame was leaner, his muscular structure more compact.

He didn't radiate the same feeling of safety or security that Don did, but she knew he made up for that with charisma. His eyes twinkled with that familiar spark as a smile twisted across his sensual lips. His light brown hair was messy as it flopped across his forehead.

"Hi." he breathed.

"Hi." she returned sounding equally as breathless.

"You cut your hair." he said, his fingertips raking through the silky strands to push it back behind her ear, sending a familiar thrill down Grace's spine. "It suits you makes you look sexy and dynamic like all New York City girls."