It had been a crap night. She had supposed to be going out with her old friend from high school; he'd been in town and looked her up out of the blue. Seeing how she never did anything on a Friday night beyond either assisting her boss with something or sinking into a hot bath, she'd decided that it was time to get out and cut loose. It wasn't a date! No sir! She did not have time for such things. And she sure hadn't spent any amount of time making herself look decent either. Definitely not! That was a huge mistake. Her so called friend had never turned up, leaving her sat in a bar, by herself like the loser she was. Well done Potts, way to spend the evening. She sighed as she pulled her small jacket over her shoulders and slid off the stool. She paid for the only drink she'd had that night, deciding that it was time to head home.

The street wasn't exactly cold, but nor was it all that warm. It was dark. She wrapped her arms around her, keeping her little clutch close to her chest. The area wasn't bad and she didn't expect trouble but it was better to keep these things close. Her thoughts turned to how she'd been stood up; there had better be a damned good reason for it, he'd not even bothered to send a text! How rude was that. She shook her head, resolving to never again meet up with old school friends who promised everything and didn't deliver. She'd rarely felt this humiliated before. Brushed stray hair from her face, she forced her head up and continued along the road. Her condo wasn't that far away and she'd there soon enough. The walk would cool her head too, by the time she got there, she'd be clear!

Then, to just add the icing to the cake on this rubbish evening, the heavens opened. "Jesus!" she hissed looking up at the sky. "Do you think you could lay off?" she added. She snorted and rolled her eyes, perfect! Just perfect. Now her hair would frizz up and her shoes would be ruined. Sighing, she knew there was no point moaning or calling for a cab, she'd be drenched either way, might as well walk it and get it done.

The familiar deep sound of a huge engine made her head turn and she rolled her eyes. Great. Just what she needed. How the hell did he knew she was here anyway? The thought that he might be checking up on her shot through her, heat coloured her cheeks. He had better not be. He was her boss, not her boyfriend! The white car drove by, only breaking the limit by a margin. By the time she put a hand up to wave, it had already passed her. The number plate was unmistakable however and she knew it was Tony. For a moment, she thought he had missed her, thought he was just going to drive on by and leave her in the rain. A spike of temper crashed through her; how dare he!

Yet, when she looked up again, the car had pulled in and was now reversing down the street. She flushed, feeling a little guilty at the surge of emotion that had built against him, he hadn't deserved that. She stopped and slowly turned around when she heard the window wind down, "Pepper?" She gave her boss a little wave and nodded.

"Yup," she said.

"What're you doing out here?" he asked.

"Getting wet," she replied, as if this was the single most obvious statement in the world.

"Well, get in then!" he said. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and slid into the passenger seat. It was heated, which felt a little bit like she had wet herself, considering how drenched she was. She wasn't about to complain though, it was better than being rained on. He coughed and she turned to look at him. "Jesus Pepper, what happened?"

The car pulled out and she knew she was going to wind up back at the Mansion, there was no way he'd think that she might just want to go home and sulk. "I was supposed to meet an old friend tonight; turned out he had plans and didn't bother to tell me about them," she sighed. She hoped that didn't come across as whiny.

"Did your date stand you up?" he asked. Her eyes narrowed, wondering if he was mocking her or not. She couldn't detect any laughter in his voice.

"It wasn't a date," she quipped before she could prevent the words.

"You changed your earrings and are wearing your best shoes," he replied.

"Wasn't a date," she repeated. Maybe it had been. She looked down at her hands, water dripping from her hair and onto her soaked legs, "Doesn't mean I'm not annoyed or anything," she added. "It wasn't even my idea, he was the one that asked me!"

"His loss Pep," he said, "He's the fool."

"Thanks," she said. She knew her tone was a little dry and that he deserved better from her than that, but the fact was it had stung. Besides, it wasn't like him to be kind about these things. She was pretty sure he had never been stood up in his life. She looked out the window at the passing traffic.

"I mean it," he said. She still shook her head. Not convinced but no longer mad either. The road changed to the familiar route to his place and she ran a hand over her face.

"I don't mind going back to yours but I'm stealing the shower," she said flatly.

"Fine." She knew it would never be a problem, she'd stayed there on more than one occasion over the years, depending on what work demanded of course. She had several sets of clothes there and she knew the bed was comfortable too.

"Thanks for stopping too," she said.

"You're lucky I came this way, didn't expect to." It had her wondering what he was doing over this side of town in the first place, "Didn't want to go straight home, felt like driving," he said as if guessing her question. He descended into aimless chatter and she stopped listening, looking out the window instead, wrapped up in trying not to think too much at all. Tony's talking had a way of making her tune out, especially when he rabbited on and on about things she neither cared about nor understood. He never noticed. "What do you say to that?"

Her head snapped up and she flushed. "Sorry? What?"

"You zoned out on me again huh, how about beer and pizza? Seeing how you got blown off?"

Her face softened into a much warmer smile and she nodded, realising that he was trying to cheer her up, "Alright, it's not a date though," she added. He laughed.

"Best shoes and earrings still say otherwise," he replied. She slipped her soaked shoes off and shook her head, a laugh finally escaping her. He didn't press any further and a couple of minutes later, they were pulling into the drive of the mansion. The moment he cut the engine, she picked up her shoes and stepped into the shop.

"I'll meet you downstairs in a few; I'm going to shower and change," she said. "Maybe sort the pizza?" she suggested.

"What type?"

"Doesn't matter," she said as she turned away, she kept walking, knowing he'd just badger her with more questions if she stopped.

It didn't take long to get clean, warm and dry. By the time she returned to the lounge, she was feeling far better than she had been. Dressed in a pair of loose sweats and a white vest, she headed over to the couch and sank into it with a sigh.

"Looking a lot better without the streaks," he said. He pointed to his cheeks for emphasis and she rolled her eyes.

"Feel better for not being soaked too," she added. He offered her a warm smile then before passing her an open bottle. She took it and raised it to her lips, taking a long swig of the delicious cold liquid. Usually she wasn't much of a beer drinker but right then, it was just what she needed. When she finished, a small burp escaped her and she flushed. "Excuse me," she said, placing her hand over her mouth. He raised both eyebrows at her but said nothing, instead drinking from his bottle.

"Not bad," he said.

"What?" she frowned. He let out a much louder belch of his own before smirked. "Tony, that's gross," she snorted. She did laugh however; betraying her amusement, which she knew would only encourage him. He flashed those dark eyes of his at her and something in her belly tightened. She hid it by taking another swig of the beer. No, now was not the right time for that ancient crush of hers to rear its very unwanted head. She was just feeling low because she was stood up, nothing more. He was being kind to her for the exact same reason, nothing more! She didn't belch when she finished her drink, thankfully. It was not attractive, big or clever; above all, it wasn't funny!

"You want to watch a movie?" he asked.

"Have you got anything decent?" she replied, knowing that JARVIS would likely have a lot of decent films to watch. The doorbell rang at that moment and she rose, "Just find something, I'll get that," she said. It took no time at all to collect the large pizza they were going to share and by the time she got back, he'd set up some rubbish looking action film on the television.

"Hey, that smells great," he said. She sat beside him and ditched the box into his lap.

"Sure does." She breathed in a large breath through her nose as he lifted the lid. Grabbing a slice, she turned her attention to the TV. The film began and she absently munched on the pizza, finding it to be just perfect with the right amount of meat and cheese balance. She curled her feet up underneath her, leaning close to him – to get the pizza of course – and sighed. It may not be what she had expected of the evening, but it was good none the less.

It didn't take long to devour the pizza; the box ended up on the floor and they both watched the film in a companionable silence. It wasn't her type of film however and about half way through, she began to get a bit restless. Her eyes flicked over her boss, friend, whatever and that tightness appeared in her stomach again. Alright, so he was insanely attractive, even down to the stupid facial hair he insisted on wearing. That and he had the most gorgeous pair of eyes she'd ever encountered. The fact that they were huge had something to do with it, she was quite sure. She shivered and pressed her lips together.

"Are you done?" he asked turning his head a little. Her cheeks began to burn and she looked down at her hands.

"What?" she asked, knowing he'd see her blush and that she'd been caught staring at him. He shifted on the couch so that he was facing her properly, a little smile playing about the corner of his lips. Her heart caught in her throat and she tried to not look into his face.

"Is this better?" he asked. Don't look up Potts, she thought to herself. Before she could stop however, her eyes had found his. Instead of the mocking she expected to find, he was looking at her rather oddly, curious perhaps, analytical definitely.

"Shut up Tony," she said. Her eyes didn't leave his face.

"Didn't say anything," he said, his voice dropping to little more than a whisper. What the hell was this anyway? There was no way he was looking at her in that manner, no way. She was his PA, nothing more. Alright so she may be feeling a little bit on the low side but that didn't mean she was seriously contemplating doing anything with the devastating man who was her boss. Certainly not, it would never work out. She swallowed, finding her throat dry. She contemplated reaching down and picking up her beer, but that would mean breaking the gaze he held on her and that seemed even more impossible.

"I should go," she whispered. He leaned in close, a smirk widening on his lips. His gaze flicked from her eyes to her mouth and back again in a fraction of a second.

"Go ahead," he replied. His breath hit her cheek and she swallowed. "I'm not keeping you am I?" he asked. She shook her head, losing her voice once more. Before she knew what was happening, the gap had closed between them and his mouth pressed against hers. The kiss was almost hesitant, testing to see how she'd react. She didn't break it. Instead, her eyes drifted shut and she let him linger at her lips. He tasted so sweet, his mouth far softer than she anticipated. Even the rough graze of his facial hair didn't bother her as much as she thought it would.

The contact broke sooner than she would have liked, a smile graced her lips, "OK, you can slap me now," he said. She shook her head. That had been something she had wanted to do for far too long and only now did she begin to realise that.

"I'm not going to hit you," she said softly.

"You're not?"

"No."

"Can I do it again?" he asked.

"Since when did you ever ask for things?" she replied. The look on his face was a picture. This time, she caught his lips, wanting to try that subtle taste once again. If he was surprised, he didn't show it. This time, it was his scent that overwhelmed her. Spicy, with an undertone of engine oil and grease. His thumb brushed her cheekbone and his tongue nudged at her lips. She didn't resist. Parting her lips, he flooded her being, invading her mouth with a gentle, consuming passion. She slid her tongue over his, gently exploring him as he discovered her.

The back of her mind screamed at her, told her this was not a good idea. Her pounding heart had other ideas. The kiss deepened, taking on another tone altogether and the warning banished. Raising her hand, she pushed it through his hair, drawing him a little closer. He hummed and she was afraid for a moment he was going to break the kiss in order to say something inane. Her fear was ungrounded however; he just continued to explore her mouth.

When the kiss finally did break, she was flushed and her lips throbbed from the pressure he'd placed on them. "This is a good look," he said with a grin.

That was the grin she adored and she returned it with a coy one of her own. "Speak for yourself," she said, knowing his lips were as flushed as hers. Her eyes flashed over his sweet face, as though she was seeing it for the very first time. There was something about the way his eyes lit up and crinkled at the edges when he smiled.

He scooted a little closer, leaned in and caught her mouth once again. This time, she was lost. Time seemed to take on a whole new meaning for her, slipping away while they kissed. Heat built deep within her stomach, caused by the sliding of her tongue against his. Her heart thudded in her chest, her hand cupped the nape of his neck and she shifted closer. His hands gently rested on her waist, steading her as she moved.

The kiss was as full as she could make it, yet she knew she wanted more. Perhaps she was acting wantonly but she didn't want to stop. His hands pushed up the back of her vest; the rough palms sending shivers through her as they grazed her delicate skin. She shifted, squeezing her thighs together, not wanting him to realise how profound the effect he had on her was. He broke the kiss to laugh at her movement and she frowned, "What?"

His hand brushed her hair back from her face and he shook his head, "Pep, come on." She punched his arm lightly, knowing she'd been found out. "Damn it woman." He snorted, "You're not the only one who's turned on." She blinked.

"Seriously?" she said. He took her hand and placed it on his crotch. She swallowed. "Oh…" He smirked. "You mean…" He nodded.

"For a long time Pep, just didn't think you were bothered," he said. She melted at that. The casual flirting, the suggestive comments… he'd meant them. Now her hand was on his half hard prick and she was a little lost for words. She didn't take it away though, oh no, she wanted to get to know this part of him a little better, a lot better actually. He hummed when she applied pressure, tracing the outline beneath his joggers. "You sure?" he hissed.

She pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw, nipping the skin playfully. It seemed to be all the answer he needed and his hand slid over her shoulder. His mouth found hers at the same time his hand cupped her breast. Gently pressure kneaded the soft flesh as his tongue coaxed her lips apart. Instead of invading her, he flicked and lapped at her mouth. Somehow, this was far more erotic than their previous kiss. Her hand slid from his cock up his shirt and over his chest; there was far more of him to explore and she wanted to take it all in, this might never happen again and she wanted to make the most of it while they were there.

The way he touched her, almost reverently sent more than a shiver through her. She was wetter than she had been in a long time. Breaking the kiss, she moved her mouth to his throat, lashing her tongue against the apple in his throat. When she nipped the skin, she felt the sound he made through her lips. She kissed where she had bitten, enthralled by the sounds he was making. His hands were doing something wonderful with her breast, pinching and teasing; sending yet more sparks though her.

The heat pooled in her belly, curling into her, making her forget all that had gone before. "I want you so much," she whispered against his skin. His hand slipped from her breast and slid down her belly, dipping below the band of her sweats and resting on her panties. She knew they were drenched with her desire for him. She could smell her essence and knew he could too. Drawing back, she looked into his eyes, saw his pupils dilated, his lips parted.

"I can tell," he replied, a wide grin appearing on his face. His hand plunged below the band of her panties and into her soaked sex. She bit her lip to prevent the moan that rose from escaping. He raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing, instead gently caressed her wet folds. Her hand tripped back over his chest, wanting to touch him in the same way he touched her. When her hand got there, she discovered he was fully hard now.

When she ran her hand over the outline again, he hissed. Taking that as a sign of approval, she pushed her hand into his pants and ran her hand over the hot, delicate flesh, "You want me too huh?" she whispered as she slid her hand back and forth. His only response was a groan that turned a little high pitched at the end. He responded by slipping his middle finger into her. It was her turn to squeak. Pressing her lips together, she bucked her hips against his hand. He pressed his thumb against her clit and fire shot through her.

"Why are we not naked?" she asked. He raised both eyebrows and shrugged. He withdrew his hand from her body and removed his top.

"Well?" he said when she sat there watching. She needed no further encouragement, she removed every stitch she was wearing as he did. "Better!" he said. His hand came to rest on her shoulder and he gently pushed her back onto the couch, leaning over her. Her mouth captured his once more, encouraging him to proceed. Her heart thudded along as he moved, she felt him pressed against her inner thigh, wanted him more than anything.

"You sure?" he said again. She bit her lip and nodded, her eyes widening. She tried hard not to tense up when his dick nudged her entrance but couldn't help it. His hand ran along her brow, pushing her hair from her face. She smiled up at him. As his mouth descended to her again, she relaxed. His tip parted her folds, nudging into her. The sensation of pressure built up and she gasped as he kissed her. Never before had she felt so full. Her eyes widened and for a single moment, she felt as though it would be too much. It rapidly passed. She needed him to move then, the heat within her demanded it.

"Move Tony," she whispered against his lips. He jerked his hips and her back arched into him.

"Like this?" he said. His arms rested on either side of her head, she nodded and did it again. She wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to feel every inch of him. His weight over her was wonderful, the fact that they were actually doing this was amazing in itself. She didn't have any time to really process what was going on as Tony had begun moving steadily now. Matching his pace, she rose to meet his languid thrusts. They may be slow but man did they have the right effect. Heat built slowly in her belly, curling into her legs, making them tense.

"You feel so good," she whispered. She knew that likely sounded lame but her mind was too addled to think of anything better. He was beginning to drive her up to the pinnacle of rapture, all the while he moved as a slow pace. She saw his smile when she spoke, kissed her mouth a little, moved to nip at the skin just below her ear. Lightning pulsed through her as his teeth scraped her skin. Her thighs squeezed his waist; it was his turn to whine.

"Waited so long," he purred, "Wanted you forever," he added. His words were puffed out between breaths, the air caressing her cheek. She pulsed around him, rapidly climbing to the coveted height. Her hands pushed into his hair, fixing his head in place. Her eyes caught his and she nodded. There was no way she could find her voice right now. The twitch around him seemed to be all he needed to add a little pace in. His thrusts picked up. Her breath hitched as he pushed further into her.

"God Tony," she hissed. She squeezed him, her breath coming in little pants. Her arms ran up his to his shoulders. She shut her eyes and bit her lip, not wanting this to end but knowing that it would all too soon. Clenching around him, she knew she was coming undone even as she tried to prevent it.

"Pep," he whispered. She hummed. He lost rhythm, turned erratic and she knew then that he was as close as she. The quicker thrusts finished her off. Before she knew it, she was crying out his name, falling into the sky and clenching around him. In that moment, she knew nothing else but the deep thrusts, the heat and the place he had sent her to. Everything tensed and relaxed rapidly. She heard his shout, saw his rapture, felt him pulse. The way his face screwed up was just so… Tony.

The heat passed and she was left completely boneless. He collapsed on top of her, his weight braced on his forearms so as not to crush her. Reaching up, she pushed his sweat damp hair from his forehead and smiled, unable to find the words right then. He beat her to it.

"Unexpected," he said softly. He kissed her then, soft and gentle, not arousing.

"Not unwelcome," she replied, returning the kiss. His facial hair still tickled and she couldn't help smile up at him. There were so many questions she had, so many things she wanted to ask him. She pressed her lips together.

"Stop thinking," he said.

"What?"

"I can see it in your eyes, stop thinking and enjoy the moment," he said kissing her forehead. She decided that for once, he was right. She shifted a little and he got the hint. She chuckled as a thought occurred to her. He tilted his head to the side and frowned. "What?"

"Not such a bad date after all," she said with a smirk. He smirked at her humour and shifted so he lay beside her.

"And you say I tell bad jokes." He laughed. She brushed a lock of his hair back and snuggled into his warmth, perhaps this would be alright in the end after all.