Credit for inspiring this story must go to KrasnyCassandra's lovely Only the Eyes Are Broken. She went on so about sexy Auggie that I just had to get in and get some action of my own with him ;).
Annie had never really thought about sleeping with Auggie.
Well, that wasn't true. She'd imagined it—what woman wouldn't imagine it when faced with a man like Auggie? He was the complete package—funny, kind, not to mention hot as hell, and sparring practice with him had taught her that he was strong, but still gentle. Anyway, when you were chest to chest with a hot, sweaty guy… well, it was natural for your mind to stray a little, right? But she'd never considered it as a realistic possibility, something that might actually happen. Auggie had his pick of the ladies, after all, and he never went lonely for long—but he never stuck with any of them for long, either. Annie didn't really mind that—she'd had her own fair share of flings—but she preferred being Auggie's friend and sticking around to joining the constant rotation of romantic partners.
Right now, though, as he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her back until she was flush against the hard length of his body, she was definitely thinking about sleeping with Auggie. She shivered a little as he whispered in her ear, so close she could feel the brush of his lips as he spoke.
"Follow my lead, ok? I'm going to get you out of here." He followed his words with a gentle caress for the benefit of their audience before raising his voice to a level meant for others to hear. "Where have you been, sweetheart? I've been looking all over for you."
"I've just been talking to these gentlemen about some of the new exhibits we're planning at the Smithsonian." She turned her head a little to smile up at him before leaning back against his chest, relief competing with the rush of adrenaline that had swamped her when she realized the three men now in front of her had managed to trap her in the middle of a crowded room. Neither diminished the persistent, electrifying awareness that hummed through her from every point where her body touched Auggie's.
"Hey guys, didn't see you there." He grinned genially and raised the free hand holding the cane a little bit to draw their attention to it. "I'm August, Annie's fiancé. I'd offer to shake hands with you, but I'd have to let go of this beautiful lady here, and I'm just not ready to do that." He dropped a lingering kiss at the sensitive junction of her neck and shoulder to emphasize his point, and his grip tightened as he felt Annie's back arch slightly and her head drop a little to the side to give him better access.
Auggie had thought about sleeping with Annie, seriously and at great length. It hadn't taken him long to decide that, as appealing as the idea was, it had absolutely no future. He was a ladies' man, and he knew it, and he knew that Annie couldn't be a one-night stand or a friend with benefits. Not after what happened with Ben, and not with him. The more he got to know her, the less willing he was to lose her, and the more certain he was that that was exactly what would happen if he slept with her without knowing exactly what they both wanted.
Now, with his arm wrapped around her and his lips against her skin telling him that her breathing was faster, that her pulse had spiked, and with the tiny movements of her body telling him that it had nothing to do with fear, it was easy to forget that this was supposed to be an act. Reluctantly, he raised his head and looked in what he thought was probably the general direction of the men, who hadn't said a word since he'd arrived. "I hope you don't mind, fellas, but it's about time Annie and I got going. Things to do, people to see, you know. Annie's got a fitting for her dress first thing in the morning, isn't that right?" He smiled down at her, trusting that she'd sell her role as the smitten bride-to-be on such short notice.
"Sure is." She smiled back up at him, putting as much joy and excitement in her voice as she could before turning back to the three men who fronted her, scowling at being balked of their prize. "It was so nice meeting you. I hope you'll come down to the museum and see the new exhibits when they open." She gave them a dazzling smile as Auggie slowly released her and took her arm, and then she turned away to guide Auggie to the door.
"Is anyone following us?" he asked after a few moments.
"I don't know," Annie replied. "I can't really get a good look behind us without being obvious about it."
"All right. We're going to have to assume we've got a tail, then." He sighed. "I am not looking forward to explaining my next expense report to Joan."
"Why?" Annie wasn't quite sure what shaking a tail had to do with Auggie's expense report, but mostly she just wanted to keep him talking and keep him close.
"Because," he said, with a mischievous grin, "we're going to have to get a room. A nice one, too. That dress is way too expensive for a cheap motel." She laughed.
"You're shameless!" She paused and leant her head against his arm, twining her fingers through his as she signaled to the doorman for a cab.
That simple, affectionate gesture almost broke Auggie's self-control. He'd been fighting the desire to kiss Annie senseless from the moment he'd felt her react to his touch. Instead, he raised their joined hands and brushed his lips gently across the hack of her hand. "We're going to get out of this just fine. You know that, right?" he asked, his voice low and intense.
When she replied, there was a tremble of breathless awareness in her voice that set his heart pounding. "Yeah." Soft lips skimmed his cheek. Without thinking, he turned to meet them. Annie melted into the kiss, her lips opening under his without coaxing, and he could feel her breath catch as he pulled her closer, cupping her face with his hand.
Annie had thought about kissing Auggie before, but what she had imagined was nothing next to the vibrancy of the real thing. The tenderness with which he touched her stole her breath and made her heart skip a beat in her chest. When he pulled away, after what felt like eons or possibly half a second but definitely much too soon, she made a tiny, involuntary noise of protest.
"Well," Auggie murmured, his voice deep and a little hoarse, "if we've got a tail, they should be pretty convinced of our cover now." The level practicality of his words hit Annie like a bucket of ice water. No matter how intoxicating this role might be, it was still a role. Come tomorrow, they would be right back to business as usual, friendly and flirty and nothing more—even if suddenly, this wasn't a role at all for her. Luckily, the doorman came over to tell them the next cab was free before she could say something stupid.
She took the opportunity offered by getting Auggie settled into the cab to steal a look around, trying to spot any tails. If they didn't have one, she could sleep in her own bed tonight and process how much more complicated things had just gotten before she had to deal with Auggie again, and she desperately wanted that time to sort herself out before she had to act normal. Satisfied that there was no one following them, she slipped into the cab herself and gave the cabby the address. As they pulled away, a flicker in the rearview mirror caught her eye. She pulled out her compact and pretended to touch up her makeup, angling it so that she had a clear view through the rear window. Behind them, one of the men who had cornered her was getting into the next cab.