Back to Sherlock POV again. This is maybe my fave chapter. I hope you like it! Sherlock and Irene interact a lot. :D Finally!
X
He was sitting in the armchair, with The Woman kneeling at his feet. He felt the warm touch of Her hand on his own.
He knew that question would come sooner or later. He was waiting it.
Obviously She asked the reason why he concerned for Her so much. Even he wondered why for days, questioned himself about the reason for his actions but he couldn't figure it out. He couldn't recognize these feelings and although he felt them, he couldn't accepted them. But he couldn't even ignore them or reject them. He had tried that famous night, to push her away from him, but evidently it was not so easy.
He hadn't the answer to Her question. So he didn't answer.
He looked at Her again, Her eyes was so similar to his own. The touch of Her hand shaken him, but he still managed to keep everything under control. He rolled his wrist to take Her hand under his own, with his fingers touching Her wrist. This time She knew what he was doing.
He couldn't use twice the same trick with Her. She 's so clever.
Indeed, She said "Do you still take my pulse?" And after a short pause She whispered softly, Her face closer to his own "Go ahead Mr. Holmes, this time I have nothing to hide."
Her heart beat was elevated, as that night in Baker Street. The pulse increased more as She moved closer to him. She was so close he could feel her breath on his face's skin. He felt Her warm body leaning against his own.
And in that moment he felt he was losing his self-control, his heart throbbed violently. He realized that She was taking his pulse too, and for a moment he began to panic. Their hearts beat in perfect sync.
"Elevated" She said with a mischievous smile.
He did not know quite what to do. He stood motionless, staring at Her.
"Your pupils dilated" She continued, coming even closer. Now he felt the weight of Her slender body against his own. He tried desperately to turn his thoughts away from that feeling of warmth, so natural and powerful.
He didn't answer.
He saw Her face came closer and closer, and he held his breath.
He had a little gasp when he felt the touch of Her soft lips on his own lips. It was a light kiss. It was a brand new feeling for him, he never felt it before. It was like a kiss on the cheek, but more intense. Strangely pleasant.
A high heat rushed to his face, leaving him breathless for a moment.
When he could breathe again, he whispered against Her lips "I don't trust you", trying to feign coolness.
"I'll not betray you this time," She said nearest to his lips, and gave him another peck on his lips.
This one wasn't unexpected but no less devastating. By now he had totally lost control of his emotional reactions. These feelings were so unbearably pleasurable that they almost hurt.
"I can't trust you." he whispered again, hoping to hide all that stirred inside him. Neither this time The woman backed away, She moved closer to his lips and She said softly "I owe you my life, I could never harm you" .
At that point he couldn't held back himself, as soon as he felt the warmth of Her lips close to his, without even noticed he kissed Her for the first time.
He wanted to feel again that soft touch, even if it was hard to admit even to himself. He lingered in the kiss, She reciprocated and he was guided by Her. The kiss was delicate and soft at first, then it became increasingly deeper.
The feeling was overwhelming, totally unknown. At first he was shaken violently, but after a moment the sensation seemed to become more pleasant and intimate. It was strange, absorbing, warm and wet.
He couldn't get away. The involvement was not only physical, he felt spreading throughout his body, his heart beat strongly and a strong heat wrapped him ever more. He felt frightened and intrigued at the same time and he couldn't stop kissing Her. He felt Her hand pass lightly over his face and then moving up to caress his hair, playing with his curls. He wasn't able to understand how long the kiss had lasted, but it seemed to him as if time had stopped.
He detached himself from Her almost breathless, and whispered "Liar".
Emotionally this was definitely the most he could endure. To manage all these physical and psychological sensations all at once, for the first time, was too much for him.
He felt the panic rising, he wished his usual lucidity, he broke away from Her and stood up abruptly. He definitely needed a shower. A cold shower.
He wasn't able to handle the situation, but he couldn't indulge in the sensations or feelings or whatever they were. Every time he had felt that kind of feelings he lost lucidity. He felt like a sixteen years old boy. Probably for these things he was a sixteen years old boy. Perhaps Mycroft was right. No. For God's sake. No. He couldn't leave The Woman to Her fate but he had to regain the control of the Game, or he would lose in a glaring way.
He wasn't still sure that caring was a disadvantage.
He wouldn't wanted to have feelings for random human beings, but he wanted to keep those few people he cares about, those few feelings he had felt growing in himself. He wanted to keep them carefully. But he also had to learn to manage them, or this would have really been his undoing. And this involved Her.
When he came back in the room, after having taken a shower and changed his shirt, She was having dinner, sitting at the table. She had clearly called the room service while he was in the bathroom.
" Mr. Holmes would you have dinner with me?" She joked as usual.
"I'm not hungry" at this time he didn't know if it was true or not.
Perhaps up to few moments before, he was hungry, that kind of hunger that She always dropped a hint about. But now he was again in command of his faculties, he was lucid. "Tomorrow we have the flight early in the morning, I suggest you go to sleep, Miss Adler. "He continued.
"What is our destination? A European city? "She asked.
"Sherbrooke, Quebec," he replied concise.
"Quebec? But it's so far away from London! I don't want ... I'll never ... " She didn't finish the sentence, but She stared at him with an expression that seemed to him a mixture of anger and ... sadness. Could She be sad?
"It's far enough away to allow you a peaceful life, away from your enemies. And you shouldn't think of London now. You better not come back in UK for a while."
"This is impossible. You know that I will not do it "She said, challenging him.
"You'll decide that later, my task for the moment is to take you in a safe place. You have already all the documents, with a new alias of course. "
"You planned everything." She answered. The tone was clearly ironic.
She must has been annoyed because he had chosen a place so far away. "So this is the destination of our journey." She continued.
"Yes," he answered Her, "Yes," he answered her, talking bluntly.
She get up and go to the bathroom, slamming the door behind Her. She seemed to have accepted the situation even though not willingly.
Definitely for The Woman accepting that someone else had planned Her whole future life without taking into account Her opinion was very difficult to accept. She was used to decide on her own, to dominate.
At that moment he didn't want to argue. He felt strangely tired. Strange, even if he hadn't slept for days and had travelled around the world.
He sat on the bed. "Sleeping is boring," he thought. "I don't want to sleep."
But anyway he lay on the bed and he plunged in thought, and without realizing, he slipped into a deep sleep.
He wake up suddenly. It was dark, he tried to figure out how long he could have slept. What could have happened in that lapse of time? Why he fell asleep so suddenly! Damn!
These unpleasant reactions of his body began to bother him. Where were She?
He answered to his last question when he realized that he felt a weight pressed against the left side of his body.
Clearly there was something, or rather someone beside him. He felt Her warm body against, or indeed above his own body, he felt an arm round his chest, Her hand resting on his chest. The Woman was asleep, peaceful.
She slept, hugging him, with Her body too close, dangerously close. He had to hold himself back not to jump off the bed. He didn't know if was preferable for him to let Her sleep or wake Her up then having to resist to Her physical and psychological attacks.
Usually it was fun, the challenge, but today things were slipped out his control.
And he didn't like the Game so much if he couldn't direct it.
He wouldn't give up so easily, he won't let her win. For now they were all square.
He decided to not wake Her, it was the best choice for now.
After all, there were only a few hours before dawn, and they would be passed quickly or at least he hoped so.
He couldn't sleep anymore. Her warmth distracted him, he felt Her soft touch against his own body, he was trying to attract less dangerous thoughts, trying to ignore Her. He give a start when She slipped in the sleep, rubbing Her face against his chest, Her breath on his neck.
Her hand held increasingly tight shirt, Her leg ran down his leg. He felt a shiver go through all along his back, and his skin react. Goose bumps. And not just that. Clearly his receptors were stimulated a bit too much. Again those physical reactions that he couldn't control. He felt relieved that She was deeply asleep and She couldn't realize his condition. He couldn't deny that it was somewhat pleasant.
Clearly it was because of the chemistry. He took a deep breath, trying to focus his mind on more important things.
After almost an hour he was almost used to that physical contact, even if his heartbeat was still a bit elevated. Her rhythmic breathing in some way was cradling him. Almost unconsciously he let slid his hand on Her arm, receiving in exchange a soft and pleasant sensation. Reassuring. He was amazed for a moment at this sensation. Then he fell asleep again.