The heavy sound of metal scraping over wood echoed in the dark little room as Roman slid his lighter off the bedside table. The rustle of cloth quickly followed as he fished a cigar from the pocket of his coat before draping it back over the plush armchair next to the massive bed. Cold air kissed his bare shoulders as he stepped over to the window and pushed back the velvet curtains, leaning heavily against the frame.
He couldn't sleep.
That never happened.
A dreamy mix of moonlight and golden street lamps flooded the lanes below, throwing inky shadows across the bricks and cobblestones of Vale's buildings. From their hotel room on the 27th floor, he could see almost to the edge of the city, and Beacon's tower loomed obnoxiously in the distance. He ran a hand through his copper hair, sighing at the twinkling lights below.
A loud flick of the lighter and orange warmth washed over his face, reflecting brightly in the glass of the window pane. The delicious smell of tobacco filled the room as smoke coiled around him in the dark.
Much better.
The sheets rustled behind him and he quickly looked over his shoulder at the bed. Cinder slid her long legs closer to her as she lay on her side, but she settled again silently. He breathed a sigh of relief, sending a fresh cloud of smoke into the air. If she'd woken up that would be the end of this lovely cigar.
Tch. He scoffed at himself for being afraid of her even in her sleep.
Still, being wary of her was definitely the smart move. His eyes lingered on her. Moonlight splashed over the room, faintly illuminating her shape where she lay half-covered by the crimson sheets. Her ivory skin and dark hair both contrasted with the red fabric and made it easy to follow the curve of her hips and the dark ringlets that swept across her neck.
The sound of her deep breathing slid through the room regularly, and he envied her oblivious sleeping. He exhaled slowly and realized sharply that the sound was...comforting. He nervously turned back to the window, staring out at the formless black shapes below. Occasionally the lights of a car would slide by under the rows of glowing lamps, and a siren cried shrilly somewhere out of sight. A view like this was impossible from his neighborhood, especially one filled with streetlights that actually worked and buildings without a single sign of decay. Just one of the many things he wasn't used to about this job. He could handle the daily robberies, the ridiculous deadlines, and even the refusal to cough up the actual plan, but the constant switching between back alley warehouses infested with every insect known to mankind and hotels with a customized jacuzzi in every room was still jarring. And also...her. He slowly, almost unwillingly looked back into the room as his mind wandered relentlessly back to its other occupant. She lay on her side, her hand draped elegantly near her face. The intensity that made her...attention so irresistible was also what made her so dangerous.
Anyone who thinks they have that woman figured out is a fool.
He didn't need years of experience dealing with the most shady criminals this world had to offer to see that she was by far the most dangerous. And yet here he was, taking her to bed yet again.
He sighed dramatically at his own predictable stupidity before chuckling quietly to himself. Have you seen her legs?
"Roman."
Apparently not quietly enough.
"Yes, princess?"
"I'm growing tired of reminding you about that. I'd hate to think you're intentionally disobeying me."
How she could go from asleep to making death threats so quickly was a mystery, but reducing the odds of adding more scratches to the ones on his back was taking priority at the moment. He crushed his cigar against the window pane. "Now why would I do something that stupid?"
She watched him through her feathered lashes as he stepped back to the bed, sliding into it beside her. "What were you doing?"
"Trying to contain my excitement about tomorrow's crimes."
She rolled her eyes and laid back down, resting her hand on his chest as she settled back into sleep. He propped his head on his hands and exhaled slowly, staring at the dark ceiling over their heads long after her melodic breathing filled the room again.