French Kisses
A/N: This should be fun. I hope you guys are going to enjoy this as much as I do, writing it. And by the way, I didn't stop writing Right Now but I'm trying to find a good inspiration for the next chapter.
Chapter 1: Naughty
--
Well, it all started a few hours after the press conference when he suddenly realized a change in his personal assistants demeanor. He tried to convince her sharing their lunch together but she refused politely, took her laptop and shrugged off any comment about how tired she looked.
He denied the look on her face when he stepped out the conference room, in fact he ignored the shocked looks on all the people present in the room altogether because he kept on grinning like a crazy son of a bitch he was, until he and Pepper were safely in the back of the black limo.
Tony looked at his assistant who was typing at her laptop, her eyes entirely focused on the screen in front of her. Ten minutes or so, the silence was beginning to piss Tony who was fidgeting with his hands, thing he usually did when nervous. And that did not happen that often.
Pepper blinked a few times before sending another message in the recycle bin. Stupid… why had she thought of…
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a warm hand on her wrist. She gasped and turned her head, steel blue eyes meeting rich brown ones staring down at her. With the other hand he carefully removed the laptop from her lap, closed it and put it aside.
Then hesitating slightly, he brought his hand up and lazily stroked her cheek, adding more color to her flustered face. He took in her appearance; her strawberry-blonde hair hanging free on her shoulders, her beautiful blue eyes who were eyeing him intently (and for a brief moment he noticed her looking at his lips) before blushing even more when his gaze found hers. His hand found hers, but then the sudden realization of who the man standing in front of her was hit her and she pushed him slightly.
She let out a chuckle and took her laptop once more.
"I would appreciate if you would not invade my space ever again, Mr. Stark."
"But-"
"I'm not in the mood to argue, and please stop staring at me like you want to eat me with your eyes." She sighed before continuing. "It makes me feel exposed."
"I want to eat you." He replied, smiling.
Tony couldn't help but shiver when the woman in front of him practically giggled and turned her head to the phone in her hands.
"You are a self-absorbed little prick." She stopped when she saw the smug expression on his face.
"Do you really have no shame at all?"
Tony shook his head and smirked at the shocked woman standing a few inches from him.
"No."
"Excuse me?"
Tony lowered his eyes to her lips and let out a small puff of air from his mouth.
"Does the reason that I – personally sent three of my company's best engineers in Europe – bother you?" He asks silently as if afraid of breaking her in a million of pieces.
"Oh…uh well I don't…" She sort of stammered out but Tony looked skeptical at her.
"Donald McSucksmydick. Is he the reason of your anger on me?"
The laptop fell from Pepper's lap with a loud bang, her eyes sending death glares to her smirking boss.
"No… no, you didn't eavesdrop when I was talking to Donald this morning." She accused, pointing a finger to his eyes.
"Oh, c'mon… Donald? Like Donald Duck or something??" He starts to laugh.
Tony stood up, trying to help Pepper pick up the remaining of her laptop, now scattered on the car's floor. He and Pepper accidently touched hands – that action sending her over the edge of sanity – as she slapped him hard. Tony fell on his butt and looked at her, tears pricking his eyes.
He wiped his mouth with his right hand and the warm liquid filled his mouth, making him sick to his stomach. Tony bit his lip so hard that even more blood came but he didn't care now – all he could think of was the maddening ache that started right from his heart and cursed through his veins, until he couldn't breathe anymore.
Pepper's jaw dropped in shock as she stood up, her heart aching as well.
Tony took a few steps back until he fell onto the cool leather of the seat.
"Hogan?" He called, his voice trembling through the intercom.
"Yes sir."
"Stop the car. Please."
The car stopped in three point five seconds and Tony opened the door, exiting the limo; his limbs shaking.
"Tony." Pepper called, thanking God it was night outside and there were no people watching this – that, whatever it was. She got down the limo, and with trembling lips she explained Happy that they should be left alone.
She ran as fast as she could, like a woman wearing four inch heels for her boss in distress.
But she should know very well that he wasn't just in distress. She had hurt him, damn it!
The man she cared deeply for, the man she loved. Her boss.
She stopped a few meters behind the man who was obviously trying to hide his face from her. Tony sniffed and continued his walk, sighing desperately.
"Tony?"
"I want to be left alone."
"Turn. Around." She said, sharply.
Tony turned, not even bothering to hide the fact that tears of pain fell down his cheeks.
Pepper stared. Tony stared.
"I'm so sorry, Tony. I honestly don't know what to do anymore."
"You're just thinking about you." He whispered. "Just about you and your damned job."
Pepper couldn't remember being speechless in front of him since the press conference, last week, since he announced his alter-ego, Iron Man.
"You're never thinking about the ones around you, and their feelings. You just act on impulse… don't care…"
"I mean, why should I care anyway? I'm Tony Stark, right?" He asks, his lips trembling slightly.
He frowns at her stunned look and wipes his mouth again.
"I shouldn't care, right?" He asks again.
"Tony, listen…"
"I – want to be left alone. Please don't follow me."
"Tony…"
"Please…" He begged, sniffing again, harder this time.
She gave up, sitting on the bench and trying to hide the sobs ripping through her worn body.
Seconds after, one faithful assistant was asleep on the bench, in the park. She couldn't help but wonder how it would felt like kissing him right then – if she could taste more than blood and salt on his trembling lips.
--
The next morning she woke up, feeling somehow better than last night. The familiar smell of her bedclothes filling her nose, made her straighten her position and gasp loudly.
She didn't remember how she ended up in her bed. Pepper quickly stood up, and ran to her bathroom, located a few meters from the bedroom.
She looked at herself in the mirror and the events of the last night quickly flooded her mind.
Familiar arms encircling her waist and grabbing her from behind her knees, lifting her up… The click of her apartment door when it opened… hands tucking her in the comfortable heat of the bed… and all of a sudden, lips placed on her forehead.
Feeling a bit relieved of the fact that maybe Tony had found her and took her home; she sighed and let the cool water hit all the fears away.
--
Not willing to tear up anymore, she settled herself back in her bed and turned on her LCD.
Tony will understand why I didn't show up…
Do you like it? Want a new chapter? Tell me…