Chapter 2
The shocked and panicked look on her face confirms Bond's fears. Cameron made a play for M...she shot him down.
Christ...Bond thought his wife was at that private dinner.
Bond was outside waiting on the perimeter of the house with a couple of CIA agents as their bosses had a private dinner in Cameron's home. Something felt wrong...he practically had to be forced out of the house by M herself.
M has known Douglas Cameron and his wife Susan for over 15 years. They go along very well...the couple even came to Britain to attend M's husband Nigel's funeral.
Unlike M...the head of the CIA is common knowledge and his wife is not kept in the dark about his job. The opposite is true for M...her name and her job are secret. However, it is truly doubtful her husband did not know what she did...there were too many clues.
Staying silent was as good as claiming he didn't know as his wife climbed the ladder in the SIS organization.
"As you know, Douglas invited me to dinner today after the meetings concluded. That is not shocking or unusual. We have been friends for a long time and I accepted of course. I naturally made the assumption that Susan was there also. I was wrong."
"M...he didn't hurt you...touch you in any way?"
The look on M's face told him the answer and Bond involuntarily groaned as a result.
Shit! Bond will bloody well kill him.
"I arrived at the dinner...he told you to stay outside with the other agents. I was not really surprised by this because I assumed we would be discussing family and personal matters. He greeted me affectionately and I looked around for Susan. I asked him where she was and he said that her sister was ill and she is in Philadelphia so it was just the two of us."
"How long M?"
"How long what?"
"How long has he wanted you?"
"What! I have no idea...I didn't realize he did...until tonight."
"Come on M...women have a sixth sense about things like this...there must have been something in your shared past...that would trigger the inappropriate behaviour alarm you have in your head. Or did you just file it away in your uncomfortable things I like to ignore part of your brain?"
"What are you on about...I do not ignore things...my job demands me to pay attention."
"You ignore or divert uncomfortable information...you just did it to me a few moments ago. I told you that I find you irresistably sexy and you brushed it away...I watched your face. Your eyes rolled and your hand moved as if to swat away an annoying imaginary fly."
"I do not!"
"You bloody well do! I can prove it."
"How?"
Bond grabs M's hand and pulls it suddenly to his lips. M pulls her hand away suddenly and physically leans as far away from him as possible.
"That is what you do. I am no threat to you M...you know that, but your reaction is telling."
"That is because it is inappropriate for you to grab my hand and kiss me."
"Yes but it is only your hand...no real threat...I saw many men kiss your hand yesterday and you did not cause an international incident."
"That is different and you took me by surprise."
"So did Douglas take you by surprise M, or did you realize the second the wife was not in attendance what was going to happen?"
"I had no bloody idea...I am not some seductress that makes my way through the ranks of SIS agencies!"
"Don't be offended M...I just thought that you might have had an inkling that the man wanted you."
"No...and stop saying that!"
"What...that Cameron wanted you?"
"Yes...it was a normal dinner...small talk mostly until…"
"Until what M...he started to tell you how beautiful you looked...touched your hands in a gentle caress?"
"Yes...how did you...were you spying on me?"
Bond laughs, "well that is in my job description but no...I wandered around the porch with the others and eventually a woman brought us something to eat. So he told you how lovely you looked and touched you...then what M?"
"We drank wine...he did fill mine up with increasing frequency."
"I bet he did...it likely never emptied did it?"
"No...then he mentioned desert."
"I bet he did...did he have some or was he becoming more obvious to you by that point."
M frowns at him, "you seem well versed in exactly what went on...care to share...did he manage to lift your little black book of seduction techniques Bond?"
"No...but that is exactly how it goes. The difference being if our intended...target shows disinterest we move along...take the hint and end the evening with a friendly peck on the cheek. That is what concerns me M...how did you go from shock and... 'no bloody way'... to his reaction of... for Christ sake woman I will chase you down to the ends of the earth and kill you?"
"I don't know...I don't understand how it got so bad...he was so angry...he…"
The intent look on Bond's face scares M as much as what happened hours earlier in the house.
"What M? Tell me what he did." Bond clasps her hand and intertwines their fingers of his left hand leaving his right free to grab his gun on the bedside table.
"Douglas moved his chair closer and grabbed my knee under the table with one hand and the back of my neck with the other...he pulled me to him and kissed me...hard. I reacted without much thought and pulled away and slapped him as hard as I could."
Bond smirks at their intertwined hands, "that's my girl."
M leans away from him to get a better look at his face. "Your girl? What on earth are you talking about 007?"
"Oopps did I say that out loud?"
"Yes you did...rather presumptuous don't you think?"
"Well...I meant it...I mean that...that...is how I always thought you would behave around unsolicited violations of your personal space."
"Really...given this scenario a lot of thought have you?"
"Yes, I have as a matter of fact. In all occasions that I have had to witness you in a social and business setting...I imagined that you would knock the piss out of anyone who got too close or tried anything."
"It doesn't happen...why would you think?"
"I told you M...you are incredibly sexy and I have seen the way men look at you...you must have noticed that sometimes they look like they want to jump you."
M's mouth hangs open as she takes in what he says. Confusion and denial written all over her lovely face.
"Come on M...did your husband not give you any compliments?"
"Well of course he did, all the time but…"
"But what M...just because you're married no other man can appreciate your beauty?"
"Bond...really."
"I thought you were an intelligent woman M? You are incredible and I am young enough to be your son and have plenty of experience with beautiful women."
"Yes well most of those women you're paid to sleep with...you did have other motivations. I just don't see what your motivations are towards me...I already gave you what you want. Made you a 00 and there is no further need for flattery on your part."
"Other than the obvious that is."
"Obvious?"
"That I'm attracted to you."
"Bond!"
"M...just tell me the rest of the bloody story before going off on me again for being inappropriate in my desires and flirtations."
M shoots a glare at him and settles back against the headboard to finish the tale.
Douglas looked angry and grabbed my wrist...yanking me out of my seat. He asked why I hit him...I told him that what he did was inappropriate….
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Damn it M! What the hell did you do that for?
Douglas...what were you thinking? What would your wife think?
My wife is aware of nothing beyond her obsession with horse and the grandchildren. I still want excitement and intrigue...I want you.
What! Are you bloody insane? This would never be condoned by either of our governments even if I felt the same way as you!
Come on M...I knew once Nigel died it would only be a matter of time before we got together.
Enlighten me! I haven't a clue how you came to this deduction.
There has always been an affinity between us...it is natural we do the same thing...come on you have flirted with me in the past. The time we met for that private dinner in London...your husband was out of town. You got called away because one of your agents...the one you brought tonight was in trouble. If it hadn't been for that interruption I would have taken you to my hotel room or gone back to your place.
You are deluded...I have never harboured any such desire for you on a physical level. We are both married and I never…
Come on M...you never cheated...not once in all those years of marriage?
No...you...you did I assume. I feel sorry for Susan...at least her horses are loyal friends for her. I plan on telling her…
You will do no such thing! I will tell your PM that you are engaging with your agent. The blonde one that stares at you all the time.
What are you talking about...this is ridiculous and I am leaving!
No you're not.
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Bond stops her tale.
"M...what did he do?"
"He grabbed me and pulled me into another kiss. He pinned my arms at my sides and practically carried me upstairs."
Bond swallows worried for what the rest of the story contains...not to mention pissed off.
"I relaxed into his arms because I knew physically I could not beat him. I needed to beat him mentally so I began to play along.
Bond wishes he could put a bullet in that man's head…
"What did you do to him M?"
"I handcuffed him to the bed and took a picture on my mobile and emailed it to his wife."
"How did you manage to handcuff him?"
"I found the cuffs in the bathroom...when I was supposed to be getting ready to have sex with the fool. I locked him in place while I…"
"What….while you what?"
"I kissed him...I feel dirty about this already...I don't want you making light of it and laughing at me 007."
"M...I would never...I don't find this type of assault on your person at all amusing and if you had told me at the time...I would have ended the bastard!"
"I thought it was prudent to get out fast...before his men got to him. I knew he would scream bloody murder once his mouth was unobstructed."
"What did you stuff into his mouth M?"
"My scarf...the green silk one I had to match this outfit."
M's dressed in one of her power suits with navy jacket and skirt along with a low-cut white blouse that is open far enough for Bond to really be thankful for his height while sitting her next to her.
"Ok so we had time to make our escape...but capture or kill...I think the kill might be for my benefit and the capture for you. Good thing Q was monitoring the situation or they would have nabbed us at the hotel...or airport."
"Still...what is your plan for getting us out of the country?"
"I picked up that burn mobile for contacting Tanner's private number in two hours. Did you happen to email yourself that incriminating photo?"
"No...I didn't and now we cannot use ours. Maybe Q can hack into his wife Susan's?"
"I hope so...not that I don't enjoy finally sharing a bed with you M."
M swats his arm. "That is enough out of you!"
"M you have to admit it would be a great way to spend our time...nicer if the hotel was at least three star. Nicer still if it was in that lovely big bed of yours back home."
"Bond! How in the hell do you know what my bed looks like?"
Even after saying it, M realizes and shakes her head...she should have fired him. He bloody well helps himself to her booze why not look through the bosses drawers too...
"I'm serious M...I want to sleep with you...not in this situation...not after you fought off advances of another, and definitely not in this room but I honestly want you."
"You need your head examined."
Bond frowns at her and then captures her mouth in a gentle kiss. M pulls away her eyes wide and her lips parted. "James!"
"It was nonverbal proof M...that I'm not joking."
"Don't do that again...I think you better move to your own bed."
Bond looks sad, "I knew this would happen when I finally got the nerve to tell you."
M looks up at him in disbelief, "how long...have you?"
"Wanted you? It wasn't love at first sight, I'm ashamed to say, because of the superficial age difference. It was love at first hear."
"Hear?"
"I saw you and thought...very nice...not bad at all, but I heard you and lost my heart."
"I find that impossible to believe."
"As you always say...I am mister impossible. I got your brutal message during that dressing down and it tingled right down my spine...I remember that bland tan suit you wore...how you poured the bourbon giving me a view of your backside. I actually thought for a moment that you were trying to seduce me."
M sits back trying not to laugh at him...Christ he is actually serious! Bond's thumb continues to trace lazy circles on her hand. His voice is low and there is a seriousness in his eyes that she has only witnessed on him during the heat of a mission.
"You and I...we will never be..."
"M... I learned a long time ago...to never say never."
To be continued...