Chapter Four

A year later

Orange definitely did not become her as she sat in front of him and stared at the glass separating them.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he said, unsmiling.

"Mr. Fowl," she greeted with a head nod.

He studied her for a moment. Gone were the curves he had secretly loved, and her face was gaunt and as semi-starved as ever. She looked tiny in the orange jumpsuit that enveloped her. Vulnerable.

"How've you been?" he asked, fearing the answer.
Her stare said, 'Are you kidding me?' "What do you want, Artemis?"

"I was wondering if you wanted out. I could help-"

"No."

He smiled now, but there was no humor in it. "Elizabeth, you're in jail and you still won't accept my help?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"I got myself here, I'll get myself out."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have argue that fact."

"Pray, tell."

"I know you didn't kill that man."

"Yes, I did, Artemis."

"No, you didn't. You're covering for your new employer, Rocky Fraten."

She looked him up and down. "And you know this how?"

"He told me and Butler last night."

"I've already decided to plead guilty, Artemis."

"I won't let you."

"Why not?"

He leaned forward, holding the phone to his mouth. "Because I love you."

Her laugh was a bark, so unlike the joyous laughter she had graced him with in the past. "Right. You love me because I slept with you. It's not love, Artemis, it's lust. It's a chemical reaction that happens when people have sex. I figured you were smart enough to figure that out, Arty."

He didn't answer her, just stared at her through the glass. She was serious.

"I was never able to get those stones, by the way, I had to turn down the client. He was very angry."

"I'm sure he was. You should leave now, Artemis."

"I'm not going to leave until you're out of jail. Orange does not make you look your best. And I miss the multi colored hair. Is this your natural color?" It was an auburn color now, and tousled. He had thought it was naturally straight, but it was wild with curls that he wanted to sink his fingers into.

"Yeah. No one will bring me any hair dye."

"It looks nice."

"Thanks, Artemis. Go home," she prompted.

Artemis glanced at his watch. His lawyer should be finishing up right now, and getting an acquittal due to new evidence.

Speaking of which, at that moment, his cell phone rang. It was him.

"Hello?"

"The judge has given permission for you to take your girl friend home as soon as she's ready."

"Thank you, Mr. Thatcher, I'll let her know."

"Let me know what?" she asked as he hung up the phone.

Before he could answer, a guard came up to her and said, "You're free to go."

"What?"

"New evidence. You can leave as soon as possible. We'll have someone escort you off the premises in an hour."

Elizabeth shot a glare at him. "What have you done?"

"Gave them a tape of Fratson's confession."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't owe you for this," she commented in the phone.

"I didn't want you to, Elizabeth."

"I won't do you any favors."

"I don't expect them."

"Good.""

"All right. See you in an hour," he said with a smile.

"Whatever," and she hung up the phone and left with the guard at her elbow.

An hour later.

She shouldered her back pack and didn't look at him as he held the door open for her. She just walked pass. He didn't mind at all. He was just glad that she was out and with him now.

"Would you like to get something to eat? You look famished."

"I'm fine."

"We can take my car to wherever-"

She turned around and looked at him. He saw her eyes and was shocked to see fear, anger, and something else that perplexed him but he couldn't tell what it was.

"Thank you, Artemis, I appreciate it, I really do. But I am not going to get involved with you. I can't and you just need to leave me alone. What do you want from me, Artemis? You want to fuck me again? Fine, let's find a hotel. You want to start taking clients again? Fine, count me in. But anything more than that and I'm going to bail."

Artemis stared down at her, trying to think of what he could tell her that she would believe him.

Finally, he asked. "Do you think of that night at all?"

She looked away from his eyes and unseeingly into his chest. "Every night," she admitted softly.

"So do I. Can you just give it a shot, Liz?" he asked.

"It won't work out."

"Then we can say we tried."

She looked back up at him and he couldn't help it. He had to touch her. He cupped her cheek. And she felt cool to the touch.

"Can I kiss you, Liz?" he asked softly.

She looked at his lips and licked her own. "I guess."

He smirked softly before lowering his mouth to hers and softly grazing her lips with his. It was a gentle rubbing of skin, nothing explicit. It was more electrifying than a brutal, searching kiss ever could have been. It made her weak at the knees and she leaned against him. After a moment, he pulled back.

"You're melting, Liz," he teased.

"Give me a break, I haven't gotten any for a while," she excused. She didn't pull back though, and that encouraged him.

"I have a room at the Ritz. Do you want to join me?"

She smiled. "You just want sex, don't you?"

"No, I want all of you. But in the mean time," he said with a smirk and he pulled her closer to feel his erection through his suit.

She smiled. "You bring Butler with you?"

"Different room. He's driving the car right now."

She looked at him, serious as hell when she said, "Am I gonna just be a toy for you?"

"No. The real deal. Dates and everything," he promised.

Then she smiled again. "Lead the way, big boy."