Sorry, it took so long to update. Had people over for Father's day this weekend. Sorry.
Again, I do not own any of these characters, including Tony.
Chapter 4
She just stood there facing Tony's back.
In a soft voice, "I'm sorry I raised my voice at you Pepper… I'm sorry. ….Will you forgive me?" Penitently.
Her heart melted right there.
"I love you so much Pepper….. I couldnot cope, if I lost you. I get scared out of my fricken mind every time I think about it. I know... I seem paranoid that something is going to happen….. I just….. can't….. help it."
She walked over to him and sat down. His face was solemn, hers, serene. He took her hand so gently, as if it would break and kissed the top of it. "I love you Pepper…...…You…..are my world. I can't live without you and that is the plane... damn..truth". He leaned over and kissed her cheek where the tear fell and gently wiped it away, then taking her hand and lovingly caressing her soft, beautiful hands with his thumb.
"Oh Tony." In a whispered voice. "I love you, more than you'll ever know." Taking her hand and rubbing it across his cheek, making him feel warm all over.
She continued, "I'm sorry for the way I talked to you too. This thing is making me edgy, as you. I don't want to live like a prisoner. I'm independent…..and stubborn and I know I drive you crazy sometimes. I guess I am getting you back for all those years." Looking up at him with a slight grin.
At that last comment his lips crept up on the sides a bit. Their hands were entwined and he gave her hand a slight squeeze.
"You're not mad at me then?" Looking up at her with those gorgeous brown eyes.
"Not anymore." She said softly, smiling up at him. She slid in closer until her head was resting in his neck. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in tight and started running his hand up and down her arm. They just sat there for a while and he kissed her temple. They just enjoyed the moment, the quiet peace which they had not gotten much of lately.
Then all of a sudden he remembered, "Oh, what about your car?"
"Hm, not much to it, some moron stole it. What can I say? At least I didn't have anything highly important in it, like an ironman suite." Chuckling. "I have had that car for for over five years. I'm attached." She emphasized. "Hopefully the police will find it… Stupid moron." He sniggered at her choice of words.
"Man, you are such a potty mouth." Sniggering. "The police took a report?
"Yeah. Hey I have something for you." She scooted off the couch.
He reluctantly let her go and his eyes lit up like a little boy in a toy store. "Really?" Sounding…..like….a kid in a toy store.
"Yes." She walked over to the bags and brought three of the four over to the coffee table and handed him one.
"Oh boy!" He pulled out a red bath robe. "I like it." He winked at her. He pulled out some True Religion jeans.
"I thought those would really show off your gorgeous behind." Giving him a flirtatious look.
He raised one eyebrow up and twirked his lips. "Really?"
"Okay, come on, next."
"How long were you there shopping anyway? I mean, shop all you want. I just never see you do like this. I'm glad you let lose. He pulled out some shirts and then got to the boxers and raised his eyebrow and grabbed her around the waist and gave her a big smooch, both of them laughing.
"What's in these?"
"Clothes and a pair of shoes for me, showing him what she got for herself. He approved.
"What about that one back there, hmmm?" Brushing his lips to hers.
"Oh, that one is for later…..a surprise." Pepper blushing.
"Oohhh, you got lingerie?" Very enthusiastically. He started for the bag and she pulled him back down.
"NO! I will take them back, Mr. No peeking."
He gave her such a pouty face. "Awww."
"One more thing for you."
"More?" Looking excited.
She pulled out a piece of the key lime pie cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.
"Oh my. I am definitely going to be thanking you later." Giving her a very sultry look.
She grinned and her cheeks pinkened slightly.
He had climbed into bed and started reading a book with the TV on. There was a Transformer movie on that he kept glancing up at while reading. He thought to himself. 'Hm, I could make one of those. Of course, it would be red and gold. I probably shouldn't. Pepper would get really mad at me and a transformer would probably really cause a lot of problems for me, so...na.'
Pepper took a shower, while he was waiting patiently for her to come to bed. He glanced up from his book to see Pepper slowly walking over to the TV with a very enticing look on her face and turned the TV off. He had to take a second look. She definitely caught his attention. Very seductively, she walked across the room and stopped, Tony following every move. The expression on her face was good, oh yeah, it was going to be very good for him, the smile on his face growing. She slowly untied her robe and turned around, so her back was facing him and slid the robe down to reveal a very sexy, purple see through, lacey teddy. She slowly turned around. His jaw and his book fell, and his eyes just about popped out of his head. She kind of did a runway walk and turned around to reveal a very, very low cut front. He just sat there gawking, still with his jaw dropped, totally speechless. His heart was going into overdrive, and so was his libido.
"You liikkkkke?" Very seductively.
He shook his head yes and said, "Ahh…. huhhhhh." That's all that he could get out of his mouth.
"Well, come here then." Motioning with her finger.
"O...kay." He did as she commanded.
He was totally spellbound and mesmerized, heart beating out of his chest. There would never be another woman like this woman. It was like he was bewitched. He walked up to her slowly and took her mouth against his with all his might. It was a crushing kiss that totally took her breath away. He had his hands on her waist trailing down to her behind, picking her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He trailed his mouth from her lips down her jaw to her neck and trailed his mouth over her breasts, not missing an inch of her white, pleasurable skin beneath his fingertips. He thoroughly...enjoyed removing the teddy, taking his time loving her and she him, always like a volcano.
He woke before she did laying there watching her. She looked like an angel laying there so peacefully with no worry lines on her face. He thought she could pass as a cherub. She finally stirred after a while and looked up at him and smiled. She blushed a little.
"Morning lover," Reaching over to brush his lips to hers. He loved her seeing her blush.
"Hi." Snuggling up closer to him. "Mmmm. I don't want to get out of bed this morning. I want to stay here with you all day long."
"Really, I would really like that." Reaching under the sheet brushing her stomach with his hand. "You know what?"
"What?"
"I really love you."
"I know. I'm kinda partial to you too, Iron Man."
Caressing her belly, he looked puzzled and pulled back the cover. "You have a rash. Does it itch?"
"Hm, where did that come from? Wasn't there last night."
They both looked at each other puzzled and said at the same time, "The lotion."
"Guess that goes in the garbage and it smelled so good." Sniggering at her.
"Well, at least we got to use it once. It was very... pleasurable." Looking up at him with that intoxicating look again.
He groaned. "How 'bout a quickie."
"You are insatiable." Ruffling his hair. "What time is it? I really do have to get to the office. I have a meeting at ten."
"Aw, but I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here and we could fool around some more and then go have some brunch. Then we could come back for some more...ah...you know."
She through a pillow at him. "Ooof." He tried to grab her before she could get out of bed but she got away. He sighed, grinning at her. She looked back over her shoulder heading to the bathroom giggling.
"I don't have to go in do I today, do I? I can work on my upgrades, right?"
"Sure, you don't have any meetings today." Getting in the shower.
She attended her meeting and worked on emails all morning and had a meeting in the afternoon and it seemed like today had already lasted twenty four hours. It just drug on.
"Miss Potts, you have another delivery. Do you want it?"
She groaned, "Ahh, bring it in and let me see what it is this time." Sounding annoyed.
It was another box of chocolates and a wrapped package. The card said, 'For the Love of My Life.'
"Thank you, Traci." She opened the package and it was a framed snapshot of her at the coffee shop. Completely alarmed, her hand started shaking. She dropped the picture with the glass shattering on the floor and just stood there looking at it. Whoever this was, was following her. She sat down in her desk chair and tried to convince herself that it wasn't as bad as it looked. She was in the tabloids and people take pictures all the time of her and Tony, but she just could not shake the uneasiness she was feeling. She threw the box of chocolates in the garbage and picked up the pieces of glass and frame and threw them away. By five o'clock she was ready to leave, exhausted.
Her phone rang and it was Tony. "Hey Honey, I have to go. A Jericho was sighted in Iraq. I'm sorry."
"That's okay, I am exhausted. I will probably eat and bite and go to bed. I kinda have a headache. Please be careful Tony. Come back unharmed, please."
"I will do my very best. I, ahh..…must have warn you out last night, hugh?" Grinning.
She snorted. "I love you."
"Love you too."
Around eight Jarvis informed her that there was an intruder on the premises, someone had gotten through the gates. Pepper froze and she tried to stay calm knowing that it could possibly be her 'stalker'. She was definitely labeling them stalker by now.
"I have already alerted the authorities, Miss Potts. The intuder is halfway to the house."
Then her cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number. "Hello, Virginia Potts." There was no answer. "Hello. Is anyone there? Hello?" and then it went dead.
She was really frightened now. "Is everything locked down Jarvis? They can't get in, can they? Sounding a bit shaky.
"Everything is locked down securely. There is no way in the mansion, Miss Potts and the authorities are here. I am letting them in the gate at this instant."
She felt a little relief. When she was totally convinced that is was the police, she opened the door.
"Good evening, Mam. I am Officer Hendricks. We are still searching the premises. This is a very large estate so we have several officers working on it. Are you okay?
"Yes, I am fine, just a little shaky. I kind of have a stalker at the moment and this is not helping my nerves a bit."
"Oh, really? Is this the first time you have had someone get past the gates?"
"Hasn't happened in a long time."
"So, what is going on with this...stalker?"
"Just keeps sending me gifts, flowers with notes like I am his girlfriend or something. I just got a call on my cell but no one answered."
"That's as far as it has got?'
At that moment another officer walked up. "We have searched high and low and we find no one."
Officer Hendricks spoke up. "Is Mr. Stark on the premises tonight?"
Feeling a little uncomfortable letting anyone know she was alone now. "Um, he is off taking care of business."
"Well, we can offer to leave a patrolman here tonight till morning. We don't do that for just anybody but, hey, Mr. Stark helps take care of us. Least we can do is take care of someone for him while he is away."
"That would actually make me feel more comfortable. I would really appreciate that."
"Sure. We can leave Officer Riley and Officer Patrick here for your service."
"Well, that is very accommodating of you. Mr. Stark will be pleased that you did this for me. He is a little protective to say the least. Can I go as far as getting one of her cell numbers just in case I hear anything tonight?"
"No problem. If you need us, we will be right outside till morning."
"Thank you."
Pepper did not sleep well that night and was already exhausted from the day before. She really wished Tony was here.
As Tony is hovering over the mansion, not daylight yet, he sees a police car parked on his property and is immediately alarmed. As fast as he could, the suite was removed and he rushes to their bedroom and sees Pepper spread out on the bed and walks over to check her. He could see her slow breathing telling him she is asleep. Feeling satisfied she was okay, he went outside to find out why there was police car on his property. He cautiously came up to the police car. Officers Patrick and Riley recognized him immediately. They gave him the rundown of last night. Tony thanked them for keeping watch and being no longer needed since he was there, they left.
Tony was scared. They really had a problem. If this idiot got in through the gate, he knew this was escalating. 'How did they get past the gate?'
Upon entering the mansion again, "Jarvis, pull up all footage last night to see if we can ID anyone."
"Right away, sir."
"Is Pepper still asleep?"
"Yes Sir. She had a hard time going to sleep last night and her vitals were rather elevated. I lowered the lights and adjusted the temperature hoping she would go to sleep."
"Apparently it worked Jarvis. Thank you."
"My pleasure sir."
"I am going to sleep for a while. I'll look at the footage after a few hours of sleep."
"Yes sir."
Tony went back upstairs to shower and crawled in bed very carefully not to wake her and curled up next to her for some sleep.
Upon waking Tony found himself alone. Alarmed, "Pepper?"
"I'm here Tony." In a soft voice, coming out of the bathroom in a towel.
Relieved, Tony ran his hands down his face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"I had Jarvis run through all the footage. I guess I better get some coffee and see what he found."
"I gather you saw the police and talked to them?"
"Yes." Sounding very overwhelmed.
"Tonyyyy…someone called my cell and wouldn't say anything last night."
He did not say anything. He just had this unsettled look on his face and closed his eyes for a second. 'Here goes this 'almost' anxiety thing again.' He had started 'almost' having anxiety attacks lately. He had to concentrate to calm himself.
"Why don't you sleep a while longer? What time did you get in?"
"About four this morning."
"Sleep Tony."
"Nope, can't, got to find some creep. You know I can't rest till we find this guy. I don't want anything to happen to you Pepper." Walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I love you Pepper. You mean everything to me. It is my job to protect you."
"Oh, Tony." And she sighed, squeezing him up tighter.
"I have to get dressed." As Tony's mischievousness takes over, he grabs towel and snatches it off of Pepper.
She gasps and slightly slaps at his chest. "Tonnnyyy!" Giving him an evil look, but it turns into a slight grin and turns toward the closet to get dressed and Tony roars with laughter.