Sophia began to scan the streets in search of the mysterious eyes that had fallen upon her, tensing every muscle in her body. She was cursing herself for having that last drink, hoping that it wouldn't impair her too much. Eames was still walking beside her, keeping in time with her strides. She noticed that he seemed to be hurriedly soaking up the beauty of the french city, as if it were disappearing while he passed it.

Oppositely, he was doing everything he could to subside the hollow in his stomach, almost aching at the beautiful presence next to him. He knew that they both had gulped down a few too many drinks and didn't want his desires to get the best of him at a time like this. Feeling a tight grip on his upper arm, he finally looked at Sophia. She had clasped her petite hands around his arm, as if she were nervous.

"Something wrong, darling?" His words flowed into her ears, almost startling her. She shook her head and met his gaze.

"I'm sorry, I think I may have had a bit too much to drink," she cooed. "I could swear that someone else was here, the street almost seems too quiet tonight."

Once those words escaped her pink lips, Eames took careful note of the silence and his instincts began to kick in. He strained his ears for any sort of footsteps, but couldn't place any but their own.

"I think that we need to sleep off this stupor, my dear. We are in a strange place and are quite used to being in danger. Our senses are working overtime and we must save that strength for the job." Eames used his other hand to graze her knuckles, offering her reassurance.

She began to smile when she noticed a figure standing on the opposite side of the street. In the dark she could only pick up on his demeanor. He was standing upright with his arms crossed over his chest. His posture seemed to emit a sinister and dangerous agenda.

"Eames, I'm not sure that I am safe here. We are being watched closely.." she trailed off, never taking her eyes off of the shadowy figure.

Eames paused and grabbed her chin, bringing her face to his. "What are you talking about, Sophia? What information have you kept from us?" His eyes were narrowing slightly and his blood was running cold. Who was this woman? Why on Earth would she be in danger? Did she set him up?

"Eames, I am a thief. You know just as well as I do that it is a dangerous job. Don't you dare pretend that you've never been on someone's to-do list ..." Her eyes began to water, although she never let a tear fall. He instantly realized what she meant and briefly recounted a time when he was a wanted man.

"Who are they?" he asked abruptly, snapping Sophia out of her thoughts.

"His name is Andre Roquet, a wealthy business man from Paris. I was hired to extract a memory from him about 7 months ago. One of my team members miscalculated slightly and I almost didn't make it out. His entourage sought out my identity and I have been hunted ever since."

Eames listened carefully, wracking his brain for a solution to her plight. While lost in though, he hadn't noticed a man creep into the shadows not far from where they stood. It wasn't until he heard Sophia grunt that he was snapped back into reality.

"My good sir, pay us no mind. We have a score to settle, the two of us. Please, don't bother to follow." The man from the bar held a gun at Sophia's hip threateningly.

Sophia's face sent him warning not to advance any closer, for the man was not known for bluffing. Eames stared helplessly into her soft blue eyes, wanting only to hold her close to him.

"Sir, I am truly sorry but I cannot stand idly by while you kidnap this powerless young woman," Eames chided, not completely sure of his next move.

"Dear boy, I am Andre Roquet. I am not intimidated by the likes of you. I am simply acquiring my property, which you seem to underestimate." The man's lips curled up into a malevolent smile, until he felt a sharp pain in his side of knee.

He yelped in pain, realizing that Sophia has stabbed him with the heel of her stiletto. She saw her only chance of escape and ran for it, after smacking his gun off into the distance. With Eames quickly en toe, she lost her footing as another man reached out for her and slammed her body to the ground.

They were surrounded by Andre's army of minions. The men encircled Eames in the street, blocking Sophia from his sight. Andre hobbled over to her limp body and whispered in her ear. "You have put up a better fight than I intended, joli. You will pay for your crimes as well as making me chase you all over the damn country."

Just as he finished his speech, he turned towards the street to see that it was littered with the bodies of his men.

Standing dumbfounded, completely irate, he snarled and called out, "Monsieur, your abilities are MOST admirable. However, I am losing my patience. Miss Bordeaux has an outstanding debt with me that needs to be settled. I highly doubt that she is worth you enormous effort." Spinning in circles, attempting to locate Eames in the darkness, he bellowed once more, "She is mine! You cannot have her, you heathen!"

With his words echoing throughout the street, he suddenly felt a pair of hands clasp around his throat.

"I'm sorry Mr. Roquet, but she needs to come with me." And Eames' grasp on his throat grew tighter and tighter until Andre's eyes closed and his body fell tiredly to the ground.

After rendering Andre unconscious, Eames ran towards Sophia to assess her damages. He stroked her face lightly with his thumb, looking for any signs of serious harm. He heard a cough escape her lips and his eyes shot towards her mouth. She slowly opened her eyes to be greeted with one of Eames' heart-melting smirks.

"Sleeping beauty has finally awoken!" he teased lightly, helping her sit upright.

"What happened? Where is Andre?" She felt rather pathetic asking those questions, feeling disgraced by her earlier lack of fortitude. She grabbed Eames' hand and stood up, taking a moment to steady herself.

"Don't worry about him. Not for a while at least. We need to get you back to the hotel and cleaned up. You took quite a fall, Miss Bordeaux. Lucky that I was here ..." he poked, igniting a battle that he hadn't been prepared for.


"Did you kill him?" Sophia asked after being brought back to her room. Eames was sitting in an armchair as she walked to the bathroom to change her clothes and clean herself up. The door was left open a pinch and he desperately wished that he could glance at her unclothed skin. She came out a moment later in her short, red silk robe with a curious look on her face. She looked so beautiful with a clean face; natural beauty showering his vision.

"Eames? Did you hear me?" She asked. He realized that he had been too busy fantasizing about her soft skin to answer her question.

"No, I didn't. I don't want to leave any more tracks here than I already have. It wouldn't be wise. So explain something to me, Sophia. If you are such a tough woman, then why did you need rescuing?" Although it sounded harsh coming out of his mouth, his full lips pulled up at the side to form a coy smile.

"I had a little too much to drink, I'll have you know sir. Under different circumstances, I could have easily fought him off," she said with a huff. How dare he act so childish after her slightly terrifying endeavor? Did he not realize that Andre wanted her dead?

"Well, I hope you know that you owe me. I saved your life, so you must save mine. When the time comes, of course. I'm sure that will be a long while from now," he said as their eyes locked onto one another.

She couldn't help but lighten up at his last statement. As aggravating as he was, she was drawn to him. She felt as though she had become entranced and could not look away. He noticed her demeanor and chirped up, "May I help you, Miss Bordeaux?"

The magnetism that held her gaze only grew stronger. She took a step closer to him, eyes never leaving his. "Your eyes hold a fire inside of them, Mr. Eames. I'm curious as to the source of the heat."

She took another slinky step closer, dragging her toes as she walked. Eames was surprised at the lust in her eyes but thought inwardly "why question a good thing?" As she made her way over to him, he couldn't help but survey the lengths of her body. Her thighs peeking out from under her robe. The front of her robe opening slightly to reveal her chest. Her skin looked so soft as it teased him incessantly. He needed to touch her, hold her, feel her warm skin against his. Kiss her smooth, full lips and let them graze every part of his body. He could feel himself becoming more and more aroused with every step she took.

Sophia leaned down towards his neck, her breath tickling and awakening every nerve in his body. He couldn't help but shudder as she spoke, "I'm feeling tired, Mr. Eames. See you in the morning."

He choked for a second, completely breathless. What a cruel woman she was. He would certainly continue his fantasy in the privacy of his own room.