Savine felt like she was running out of time when in actual fact, time barely crept forward. Adrenaline kept her alert and a few espresso shots kept her moving. She ran on autopilot while she got things sorted out for tomorrow.
Xander had already left to go sort out what he needed to hit Tory's lab at the university. Large establishments were more his forte while houses were more Savine's jam. She started out robbing houses with Sivan before Vincent encouraged them to go bigger.
It didn't surprise her when Xander turned down Ash's help for getting back up. Her best friend was rather prideful with his work and didn't like receiving handouts, her on the other hand not so much. She decided to give it a shot because she knew Ash badly wanted the artifacts. When he left her side, she just told him to get her a good getaway driver and a watcher who could double up as muscle.
She just knew Xander was getting his own back up and he knew how to cover his ass well. He will probably threaten to hand over his crew to the FBI if they snitched.
After Ash left, she went to sort out her things and cursed at her lack of latex gear and wigs. She had everything else because she carried them out of habit but in her defense, she hadn't had to rob a house in years.
Bloody siblings.
Savine quickly packed up a bag and left a note for Meredith to find in the kitchen, telling her that she was at the campus library, which was conveniently open all day during the week.
She then ordered a cab to take her to the airport so she could rent a car for a couple of days under a fake I.D. She wore a blonde wig and blue contacts to pull the little stint off. At this time of night, the airport was pretty much the only place she could rent a car. Xander claimed the Charger and there was no way, she was going to use Meredith's car. She opted for a nice grey sudan that had seen better days. She also booked a room in a cheap motel so she could catch some sleep later on after she bought some latex gloves.
Latex worked better with hiding her fingerprints and the material was nice and thin so she could cover her hands with another pair of gloves that had fake fingerprints. She also needed another wig. It wasn't like she could waltz into the mall to get these things either. Most of the stores were shut past ten o'clock. She had to go somewhere else that catered to night owls wanting wigs and latex, which was a sex shop.
She drove around the city and stopped at a few mainstream franchise ones but the quality in most of their decorative wear were crap. She needed a wig that didn't look like she just taped plastic string to her head. She nearly gave up on the sex shops until her cellphone started to buzz. She answered after she saw it was Ash on the caller I.D.
"Only you would call me at a time like this," she rolled her eyes at the irony while a huge wall of sex toys stretched out in front of her. The phallic shapes reminded her of her lack of a sex life in a taunting way.
"Is this a bad time?" Ash's sexy deep voice questioned and Savine turned away from the sex toys with a strangled groan. This man's voice was its own kind of sex toy.
"Is something wrong?" Ash persisted.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Ash but damn, you could charm off the pants of anyone with that voice of yours."
Savine then scrunched up her face when she realised what she just said. Besides booze, extra caffeine and adrenaline gave her a loose tongue. To her relief, Ash didn't take offence to that. The man laughed low in his throat.
"That's funny because I only desire to charm the pants off one woman and last time I checked, she was wearing a nice black skirt that showed off her beautiful legs." He sounded a tad huskier now and Savine hightailed it out of the store with a shaky breath.
Man, he was good and Savine fanned herself when she got back into the car. She didn't usually fluster this easily but then again, she had never met a man like Ash before.
"Well, whoever this woman is, she is quite the lucky woman. I'm just a thief in jeans," Savine glanced down at her plain blue jeans and old running shoes. She got changed into comfier clothes before she left Meredith's house.
"My mistake," Ash countered quick smart. "It seems she has gone and changed on me into a pair of jeans that hug that gorgeous behind of hers."
"Oh, you are bad," Savine laughed in jest.
"Only if you want me to be, baby," Ash replied so softly that it made her tingle downstairs but enough was enough, the rational side of her brain countered.
"Okay," she tried to sound more serious. "What's the 411, boss?" She quickly reminded him of the many roles they played and Ash quickly took the hint.
"I've got your back-up. They're good men, very assertive and focused. They have worked for me before," Ash vouched and Savine hummed in affirmative. Sounded good to her, she just needed a driver and watcher to keep an eye on things while she robbed the house.
"Okay. Just get them to come to the motel I am staying at around six o'clock in the morning. I will message you the address."
"Just like that?" He sounded a little shocked. "Don't you want to check them out first?"
"No, that's okay. I trust you," She quickly reassured and she wasn't lying.
She might not have known Ash long but she did grow to trust him after what happened in Nashville, which surprised the living daylights out of her. Ash was silent on the other end for a minute or two and Savine waited patiently for him to say something.
"Where are you?" He finally spoke.
"I am sitting in my rental outside the third sex shop I have browsed. I really need latex gloves but all the ones I've seen so far are shit quality. I also need a good wig." Savine paused to let out a deep breath of cleansing air.
"Are there any fancy independent sex shops in this city?" She braved the bullet and asked.
"There is Tabitha's shop," Ash answered without skipping a beat and Savine felt like smacking herself in the head for forgetting about Pandora's Box. She did make best friends with Tabitha's couch when she accidentally got knocked out.
"Oh yeah," her tone dripped with recognition. "Thanks Ash, I'll head over there now." She reached to start the car and she quickly bid him goodnight before making her way over there.
Savine navigated her way over there easily from memory and she got a street park near the front of the store. She discarded her wig and contacts when she parked because Tabitha knew who she was already and she quickly ruffled her long hair before she made her way to the store.
She was still tossing up on the idea that she had to cut her hair off before she hit Tory's house. The best thief was an untraceable thief and hair easily fell out on the job if she didn't keep it under wraps.
A few couples and small groups of women were clustered around the store when she entered Pandora's Box. Tabitha was pottering behind the counter while she had what looked like two sales assistants on the shop floor.
Tabitha looked her way when she spotted the door open and her face lit up with recognition.
"Hey stranger! Long time no see!" She beamed and Savine made her way over with a wave.
"Hey Tabitha, how are you?" She greeted.
"Good, good, thanks. How about you?" Tabitha grinned. "But I have to say, it is good to see you enter my shop on your own two feet this time."
Savine couldn't help but laugh at the joke. "Then in that case I am good too, thanks."
"But you need something." Tabitha eyed her intently and moved to join her on the other side of the counter. Savine just nodded.
"Do you carry much latex products?"
Tabitha's eyes perked up with interest but she kept it professional. "We sure do. Come, I'll show you," she beaconed.
Tabitha then showed her an assortment of latex gloves and body suits. Savine reached out to test the material of one glove and she cheered at the good quality.
"Finally," she breathed. "I get my hands on the good stuff." She grabbed a packet of black latex gloves and glanced at Tabitha when she got an idea. It was a bit extreme but it was better to be safer than sorry. Vincent could not catch her thieving in New Orleans.
"Do you have this brand in a full body suit?"
"Sure do!" Tabitha passed her a suit in a generic size small. "But I would try it on before you take it."
"Good idea," Savine took the body suit and then she figured she should probably purchase other things beside a wig to not raise suspicion.
"Can you recommend any good handcuffs?"
"Do you want the gentle kind or the kind where your guy can't escape?" Tabitha wriggled her eyebrows and Savine smirked.
"The kind where he can't escape," she decided to play along and Tabitha suggested some stainless steel ones. She then opted to browse the lingerie section and grabbed a cute two-piece set with a matching negligee to try on. She briefly wondered if Ash would like the style.
It was a matching black lace set decorated with purple crossbones and red roses. Just because she wasn't getting any action, didn't mean that she couldn't treat herself with cute lingerie. The set did have a gothic edge to it and just like that, Tabitha couldn't hold her tongue anymore.
"Okay, who is he?" She smirked and Savine laughed.
"I'm only asking out of concern for your inner sex goddess. Xander told me about your dry spell," Tabitha whispered low and Savine rolled her eyes.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" She sighed. Xander was so going to pay for this.
"Don't worry, Tabitha. My inner sex goddess is okay. She's content, now I am going to try these on," Savine held up the clothes and Tabitha followed her over to the busy change rooms.
"Well, he better blow your mind," she added and Savine gave her an amused look while she went behind the curtain. Tabitha just shook her head at her for keeping her secrets. She had an inkling, she knew who the guy was and she hoped against hope that she was correct.
"Just yell out if you need help," she offered and Savine yelled back thanks while she stripped down to her birthday suit. She tossed her hair up into a tight makeshift bun before she grabbed the bodysuit.
The latex thankfully fit her legs and hips like a glove. She pulled the suit up her arms and chest, easily. The zipper at the back, however, gave her strife. She could only get it to zip halfway up her back before she threw in the towel and went for help.
"Sorry but I need help with the zip, Tabitha," She reached for the curtain to pop her head out but who she saw hanging outside the changing room made her freeze in her tracks.
"Tabitha is a bit busy but I can help," Ash offered with folded arms and Savine quickly looked past him for Tabitha.
Oh, she looked busy all right. The woman looked quite excited while she pretended to look busy behind her counter. Her eyes kept dancing in their direction, along with every female and some of the men in the store. They ogled the hell out of Ash, simply standing there in his black Hayabusa motorbike riding gear and wrap around sunglasses.
Savine didn't like it one bit. Those leather pants of his looked painted on.
Ash had little warning when she gently reached for his hand and pulled him behind the curtain.
"What are you doing here?" She demanded low and Ash just folded his long arms again.
"I'm here to pay for what you need."
"You don't have to, Ash. I pay my own way when I work," Savine folded her arms to cover her nipples. Latex left nothing to the imagination and Ash quickly took notice.
"I'm here to help you in anyway I can, Savine," he spoke while he continued to admire her curves with hot eyes. Savine sighed and simply gave in. She didn't have the energy to go head to head with him anymore tonight. She turned around and silently accepted his help.
Ash's warm fingers brushed her back while he zipped her up the rest of the way. Savine then faced the changing room mirror and moved around to check the flexibility of the latex. Ash quickly backed up when she stretched her arms without warning and he made an abrupt noise.
Savine quickly glanced his way in concern and saw him, rub the back of his head in visible pain. He accidentally bumped into the wall behind them with his head.
"A little warning would've been nice," he grumbled.
"Sorry. I need to see if I can be an acrobat in this suit." Savine quickly patted his rock-hard stomach with an apologetic look. Ash reached for her waist with his free hand but Savine slipped through his fingers when she left the changing room.
She turned to face the mirror again with critical eyes while she moved her arms in opposite circles. The material didn't give which was good. The latex molded well to her upper body. Ash started to creep out of the change room again and to her surprise, he didn't look happy. That beautiful jaw of his was clenched and he was giving off, a 'fuck off' kind of vibe that reminded her of a canine marking its territory. He seemed to hover behind her while she stretched.
Curiosity finally got the better of her and she looked up at him but Ash wasn't looking her way. Instead, he was captured in what looked like a stare-off with every guy in the store. He was also standing in such a way that no one could see her while she tested the latex suit's durability. The overprotectiveness surprised her. Serious boyfriends did this not men she's barely dated. The man looked he could spring into action at any minute and it strangely didn't scare her one bit, she found it cute.
She might be independent as hell and could look after herself but she still didn't mind having an overprotective man around. It felt nice to feel protected to a certain extent.
"Cute," she grinned up at him and Ash relaxed a little in his stance when he glanced her way again.
"Excuse me?" He wasn't sure what she just said.
"Never mind," Savine's grin grew wider and she started to stretch out her legs.
"What did you just say, Savine?" He persisted and Savine crept closer and used his chest like a leaning post. She rested her chin on his sternum and gave him another goofy looking grin. He automatically rested his hands on her hips.
"If you must know," she leaned back a little, "I called you, cute." Ash felt his cheeks grow warm at her compliment. No one thought he was cute, these days. Savine grinned again at his sudden blush and she stood on her tippy toes to kiss the skin above his shirt collar. It was the furthest; she could reach without him meeting her halfway.
"I also think you have nothing to worry about. You're the only one, I'm interested in." She playfully tapped him on the chin and faced the mirror again.
And just like that, she bamboozled him with her sincere words once again. He could only stare back to her eyes in the mirror while she tossed him a wink.
"Now," she rubbed her hands together. "I am going to need you to back up a few steps. I don't want to accidentally knock you out."
Ash swallowed hard and backed up with a nod. Savine then did a series of kicks where she stretched her legs straight up into the air. She quickly did a backflip where she landed on her hands and walked a little forward. Ash raised his eyebrows at her flexibility.
Savine effortless fell into a backbend and stood up. She balanced on her toes and did a few ballerina like twirls before throwing in a cartwheel and landing in the splits.
"This suit is good," she passed her final judgment with another goofy grin and Ash quickly gave her a hand up.
She will wear this tomorrow, plus the mask as a balaclava. She'll cut her hair off too to be on the safe side. She could not leave a piece of her DNA behind. At this point, she could careless about what she looked like.
She then turned her back to Ash and went back into the change room. He followed and closed the curtain behind him. Without asking, he unzipped her bodysuit and Savine thanked him. Only this time, he didn't step away completely. She watched him close in with bated breath in the mirror.
She quietly watched him kiss her right shoulder lightly and wrap his arms around her middle to hug her gently to his chest.
The lack of sexual heat in his touch surprised her greatly. He held her like she might break, as if she was the most precious piece of glass in the world. She reached to entwine their hands together on her stomach. Ash kissed her skin again and looked at her in the mirror.
"Can I spend the rest of the night with you? I just want to hold you," He asked softly and Savine didn't miss the needy undertone in his deep voice. This was the most vulnerable and real, she had ever seen him and she wasn't going to screw it up.
"Yes, you can, if you don't mind a crappy motel bed." Ash smiled at her answer and Savine turned around in his arms.
"You're just a big teddy bear, aren't you?" She moved to rest her hands on his shoulders and stroked the leather.
When it is safe, Ash thought but he didn't say that.
"Rarely," he said instead.
Savine raised her eyebrows when she noticed how tight his muscles were. It felt like he had some knots.
"Man, you are stiff," she eyed his shoulders in concern. "You are due for a massage, buddy."
"I don't like getting massages," he quickly countered and Savine got a wicked idea.
"Maybe that's because you've never been massaged by the likes of me," She winked and Ash just raised his eyebrows.
"You just want to get me naked," he teased and Savine surprised him by shaking her head with a laugh.
"I can get rid of those knots of yours over your clothes," she suggested and Ash snorted.
"What about massage oil?" He pointed out the flaw in her plan and Savine shrugged. "Who says we need it?"
"But oil makes all the difference."
"Then go get some," she chuckled and opened the curtain for him to leave. She was vaguely aware of everyone staring in their direction again and to her surprise, Ash didn't move a muscle.
"You'll ruin my shirt," he muttered and Savine moved to grab his hands so she could nudge him out of the change room.
"It's up to you if you want me to use oil on you." Ash just looked down at her. "I don't need a massage."
"But you would like one, am I right? Otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned the oil," Savine smirked when she caught him out on his bluff.
"I was merely pointing out a fact," he muttered and Savine snorted while she reached for the curtain.
"I won't be long, I just need to try on one more thing and choose a wig."
Ash parked himself by the wall next to the change room. "I got nowhere else to be," he folded his long arms and Savine playfully popped him on the chin.
"Go browse the massage oils," she backed up with a playful wink and closed the curtain.
"I don't need one, Savine," he grumbled and Savine rolled her eyes while she stripped down to try on her lingerie set.
The matching bra and thong fit perfectly, the negligee just made the set feel classier. She couldn't remember the last time she splurged on lingerie and with that thought, Savine changed back into her clothes.
To her surprise, Ash wasn't where she left him. She quickly spotted him with his silky black and red locks, standing by some shelves that displayed lotions and the like. Was he actually following through with her suggestion? Savine just stared in amazement while she made her way to his side with her purchases.
"See anything you like?" She peered up at him and she noticed how he quickly pocketed a bottle of something in his jacket.
"Nope," Ash quickly replied and glanced down at her purchases. He didn't raise his eyebrows when he spotted the matching facemask for the latex suit, he understood the logic behind that purchase but he did raise his eyebrows at the lingerie and handcuffs.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" He tapped the handcuffs and Savine tried to keep a straight face. "It's for work," she muttered and went to look at wigs.
Ash followed her closely and waited patiently while she ummed and arghed at the colours. She analyzed a few wigs before settling on a short light brown wig.
"Are you any good at cutting hair?" She glanced at Ash. "Why?" He looked confused.
"I need to cut my hair off. I can do most of it but I will need help with the back."
"Are you being serious?" Ash asked, cautiously and Savine nodded. He clenched his jaw at her answer and he reached to toy with her long black locks. He greatly desired to feel the wild mane caress against his naked skin while he took her.
Savine swallowed hard at the innocent display of his affections and she grew more aware of Tabitha, staring hard in their direction with glee. Did he know what he was doing?
"Ash?" She said his name to test the waters and he gently pushed her hair behind her ears to cup her face.
"I'll help with the haircut," he sighed. "But I'm not happy about it," he admitted and folded his arms. She found his sudden attachment to her locks, adorable.
"Naww… don't worry it will grow back," She tried to reassure him. "But I totally understand if you want to back out of our date if you don't want to go out with a bald woman," She chuckled in jest.
Ash cracked a smile and took her purchases. "You could wear a paper bag for all I care and I'll still want to be with you." He then left her to stare after him dumbly while he went to the counter.
Savine felt her insides melt at his words and it took her a couple of seconds to realize that she was swooning over him like a lovesick teenager. Come on, girl, stay focused. She knocked herself out of it and followed him. She took out her purse only to see Tabitha processing her purchases with Ash's credit card.
"Ash," she grumbled and Ash just looked down at her. "You're welcome," he smirked. He knew she wanted to pay for her things herself and he beated her to it.
"I am so keeping my eye on you from now on," She warned low.
"Oh, I'm counting on it," he had the decency to purr back in that deep sexy voice of his. That was when Tabitha finally cracked it.
"Okay, I can't take it anymore," She gushed with excited eyes. "What's going on here, gorgeous babe?" She demanded and Ash quickly lost his sexual lobe. It was like Tabitha just splashed him with ice water and reminded him that this world did not just involve Savine and him.
Savine quickly spotted the sudden rigidness in his big body. He only did that when he started to feel uncomfortable in her experience so she redirected Tabitha's attention onto her. She wrapped an arm around Ash's waist and grinned at Tabitha.
"We're dating."
Tabitha cheered loudly in excitement and mumbled about how her baby was growing up so darn fast. Ash didn't know what to say in that moment. It wasn't like women ever proclaimed they were with him, publicly, every day. He felt his heart pang with warmth, he had never encountered and he felt a tad misty-eyed. Thank goodness, he wore his sunglasses otherwise Savine would see how much of an emotional wreck he was. Luckily, she hardly noticed the profound emotional shift in him.
"Exclusively too," Savine rested her head on his chest and smiled up at him.
"So, tell all your girlfriends that this one is off the market," she glanced at Tabitha and just like that, she staked her claim. He was hers after one kiss, Ash choked up. The sudden trill of Savine's cell phone went off and she quickly answered it because it was an unknown number.
"Hello?" She greeted on the line.
"Savine, is that you?" Sebastian, out of all people questioned and the teenager sounded panicked. She would never forget that homeless kid, she helped out days ago outside the airport.
"I'm sorry but I have to take this," She quickly grabbed her purchases and said goodbye to Tabitha.
"Whoa, slow down there, Sebastian. It's me; can you please take a deep breath for me? Everything is going to be okay."
She had no idea how the teen got her number but that didn't matter right now.
Ash quietly stuck to her side while they went outside and he waited patiently.
"Oh, thank god! Savine! I am so sorry but I don't know who else to call!" Sebastian sounded a little relieved but Savine could still hear the desperation in his hurried voice. Her gut told her something was wrong and it was bad.
"Do you need help, Sebastian?"
"I… I got arrested," the teen whimpered and a torrent of emotions slammed into Savine hard. Ash grew concerned when he saw her cringe in visible distress and he reached to rub her back in comfort.
"Where are you, kid?" She demanded.
"The one near Jackson Square."
"Okay, hold tight kid. I'm coming for you," she promised without a second thought. "If you're in a shared cell, don't draw attention to yourself." She hanged up and let out an uneasy breath. She had to get the kid out of there and as soon as possible.
"What's going on here, Savine?" Ash asked. Never had he seen Savine so visibly shaken up.
"I need to get him out." She walked to her car with a hurried stride but Ash quickly noticed that her hands were shaking. They shook harder when she took out the car keys and he quickly grabbed her hands to calm her trembling. She was in no state to drive.
He saw terror flash through her evergreen eyes and something else. Anger.
"I'll drive," he said in a firm tone and Savine passed him the keys without another word. She got in on the passenger side and told Ash which police station to drive too. The drive didn't long. Fifteen minutes tops. She was out of the car as soon as Ash parked it.
She breathed hard and fought hard against the memories of her own horrific time in a cell. If it wasn't for Vincent, she would still be in there and Sivan included.
She stormed straight into the police station without a second thought and powered over to the reception desk. The police officer, manning the desk was on the phone when she approached and he went to end the call. He looked like he was in his late forties with his receding hairline and greying moustache.
"Your guys nabbed a seventeen year old about this tall?" Savine cut straight to the point and indicated Sebastian's height. The police officer, which she learned was named John by reading his nametag, leaned against the counter. The safety bars obscured his aging face.
"You're gonna be more specific than that, ma'am."
"His name is Sebastian and he looks like he's been living it rough."
Recognition immediately crossed the police officer's face. "Ah, the homeless kid with a knack for picking pockets. What about him?" John folded his arms.
"How much is his bail?" John looked shocked by her question.
"We plan to release him in the morning. This is the kid's second warning."
"Trust me, Sebastian has learned his lesson and well. Now how much is it to release him now?" Savine demanded and she felt Ash near her side. John's eyes flicked over to Ash and fell down to her.
"Look ma'am, no charges are being laid on the condition that we teach the kid not to do it again. We will let him out in the morning."
Savine frowned darkly at John and reached for her chequebook. Sometimes, money was the only answer and corruption ran rampant in the police force. She quickly wrote out a cheque for five grand to the police station and passed it to John. His aging eyes widened.
"Consider it a donation from a grateful citizen," she bit out and John reached for the phone. He told someone in the back to release Sebastian because he made bail and he hanged up.
"If he does it a third time, he goes to the courts," John warned and Savine stepped back with a relieved nod. She went to wait for the kid by the entrance and reached to hold Ash's hand. She allowed his presence to finally calm the tremor in her hands.
"Come here," Ash pulled her gently into his arms and Savine breathed out deeply against his chest. Guilt crept in and she felt like a failure in that moment. She should've done more for Sebastian.
"It will be okay," Ash tried to soothe her frenzied mind. He remembered who Sebastian was and he remembered seeing how much Savine wanted to turn the kid's life around. Savine had no words to say. She just rested in the comfort Ash selflessly provided in that moment and she hugged him back. They waited for what seemed like an eternity until she spotted Sebastian's dirty jeans and ratted sneakers walking their way.
He looked thinner in comparison to the last time she saw him but a lot cleaner. He wore a new grey sweater and his brown hair was cut shorter on the sides. Savine froze when she spotted that minor detail and she reluctantly stepped away from Ash.
As if he finally sensed her presence, Sebastian looked her way and he looked like he was on the brink of tears again with his dark bloodshot eyes. The right side of his thin face was bruised and he had a spilt lip.
Sebastian ran the rest of the way to her side and Savine wrapped a protective arm around his drawn shoulders and walked him outside. He started to cry again as soon as they left the police station but Savine didn't stop there. She walked him to the car and turned to look for Ash because he had the keys but he was right there, a step behind her always.
Without saying anything, he unlocked the car and Savine mouthed him a silent thank you while she helped Sebastian get into the backseat. He was crying uncontrollably at this point and Savine continued to hold him close on the backseat. Ash got into the driver's seat and started to drive. He asked Savine for directions to the motel and she gently directed him while she continued to comfort Sebastian. She had a feeling the kid had not cried like this in a very long time and he needed to let it all out.
"You're stuck with me now, Sebastian. If you let me, I'll take care of you," she stroked his hair and Sebastian just nodded against her shoulder. She then took the opportunity to see if he was branded with any tattoos behind his ears. Gangs loved to brand their members and since Sebastian was thin and quick on his feet, he would be an ideal recruit for stealing. Thieving gangs liked to mark their members with tattoos behind the ears. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't find any tattoos.
Vincent had her get a spider tattooed behind her right ear when she joined his gang. But she did find a small healed over cut behind his left ear, which meant he was being recruited. She breathed out another sigh of relief. All was not lost after all.
Sebastian got the bruise from being tackled by the police when they caught him pickpocketing a lady's purse. Savine was glad to hear it wasn't caused by any other means. She got a motel room for the teenager next to hers and she ordered him takeout while he went to cleanup.
Thankfully, the teenager was roughly the same size as her and she lend him some of her running shoes and sweat pants to wear. Ash donated a band shirt for Sebastian to wear. He went to get his motorbike and things after he drove them back to the motel.
After Sebastian cleaned up, Savine mother-henned him some more by batching up his injuries and told him to get some sleep. They would talk more in the morning.
Ash mostly hanged out in her room for the time being. He looked freshly showered and wore a pair of loose fitted sweatpants when she returned. In other words, he looked good enough to eat but she lacked the energy to do anything about it. Instead, she asked her future lover to help cut her hair. The more time she spend with Ash, the more she could see herself falling under his spell in the bedroom. She just hoped that it lasted longer than one night. She had a feeling she would have a hard time leading this man go afterwards and it wouldn't be because of the sex.
Despite the circumstances, Ash was there for her and he wanted to be. She hadn't felt supported like that in years. Sure, she had Meredith, Xander, Xavier and Sivan to fall back on but it wasn't the same because Ash didn't try to contain her true nature and put it in a box. He embraced it and let her do the stupid thing. Xander and Xavier would have never let her bail out Sebastian like that. Sivan, maybe. Meredith? Probably not. That tax accountant was a law-abiding citizen who did not bribe cops.
"Thank you."
"For what?" Ash prompted while he continued to concentrate on shaving the back of her head. She got most of her hair off before she handed him the hair clipper. Her long locks were now stuffed into the bathroom's waste paper basket.
"For everything you've done." Ash's silver eyes flew to her reflection in the mirror.
"You've done nothing but look out for me since we met. I owe you, big time."
"Besides the artifacts, you don't owe me a thing, Savine."
For some odd reason, Savine felt a little disappointed by his response. After today, she thought they were making progress in the 'getting to know each other' plain.
Instead, she was reminded of why they really were in each other's lives. Thieving. In a way, she wished she could go back to the days where she was just a bartender and Ash was her customer. Thieving was apart of the darker parts of her life, she wished didn't exist.
"Thank you, anyway," she said. Ash didn't miss the slight change in her tone, the words sounded forced and he switched off the hair clipper.
"All done."
Savine ran a hand over her baldhead with a critical eye and she checked for anymore-stray hairs. Her fingers paused to trace the legs of her spider tattoo and she bit down on her lower lip hard to fight against the memories. That was why she grew her hair out, to hide the fact that her life has never been her own for years. After she dragged Sivan back, kicking and screaming, she was done.
"I would like to take a shower now, if you don't mind." She turned around and said with her eyes on the floor.
But Ash didn't move a muscle and he gently ran his fingertips along her jaw. Savine clenched her hands to stop from shivering at his electrifying touch. Her green eyes flashed to his and he found her to be more striking.
Her black locks hid the unique edges of her face and panned down her cheekbones. She looked more real and stripped bare with her fragility as a human. She was beautiful even with the spider tattoo.
But the way she looked at him was a tad different. Her fiery spirit still shone in her eyes but it was guarded. He wondered what changed to cause him to lose some of her openness.
"I'll leave you to it." He quickly took his hand back, feeling a tad disappointed himself at the sudden shift between them and he finally left the bathroom to give her privacy. Savine closed the door behind him and leaned against it.
Ash wondered if he should pack up and leave. The sudden guardedness he saw in her eyes made him feel uneasy, like he suddenly wasn't welcome to spend the night. Sure, Savine avoided him when they first met but acting guarded around someone meant something completely different and he knew that feeling all too well. She was acting cautious and so was he.
Ash glanced at his backpack and reached for a clean shirt. He felt incredibly torn in that moment. Part of him wanted to run, as far as he could and the other part wanted to stay and see. Maybe, he was overthinking things? But there was another part of him and that part feared what could happen next.
That was the part that won because in his vast experiences, his fear was always right.
Behind the bathroom door, Savine was torn in her own spinning mind. Ash was just her client, she told herself and she was a thief, hired to do one job for him. The spider on the side of her skull hammered that fact home further. Her head knew that but not her heart. Her emotional insides didn't want to believe that. She was more than a thief. Once upon a time, she believed she could be more.
She was once Sebastian.
Young, so very young and innocent until the world turned and changed. But the world was always turning and changing, and the lines blurred. She adapted and shoved all of her vulnerabilities down. She grew through the pain and the horror until she hardly recognized who she was anymore.
Her world was changing again and she didn't like it one bit. The box where she caged all of her vulnerabilities was leaking and it all started when Sivan took off. The mere thought of her brother's selfish abandonment rattled something deep inside her. Why couldn't she be selfish too? Why couldn't see start fresh like Sebastian again?
With a new purpose, she yanked the bathroom door open and it banged against the wall, loudly. Ash looked her way in surprise. He was fully dressed with his backpack tossed over one shoulder and he was about to leave the room. He felt a little taken back from the heated look, Savine fired his way.
She took one strong step into the bedroom and put her hands on her hips. "I quit," she spoke loudly and clearly.
"Excuse me?" Ash took his sunglasses off so he could see her clearly in the light.
"I quit," she repeated herself. "I am not your thief, anymore."
Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Is this some kind of a joke, Savine?" He genuinely thought she was bluffing and he turned rigid when she shook her head.
"I have decided to retire," Savine said with a straight face and Ash couldn't help but laugh darkly while he placed his backpack back on the ground.
"Bullshit," he fired back and Savine frowned at him for not believing her words. Ash pointed a firm finger in her direction and amped up the hardness in his tone.
"You do not retire unless I say so, Savine. We have a deal."
Savine snorted. "Well… the deal is off." Ash scowled at her stubbornness.
"You do not want to piss me off, Savine," he warned and Savine arched her eyebrows at him in a condescending way.
"Right back at you, baby," she fired back and Ash stormed her way with a low growl. Savine didn't look afraid of him, one bit, a part of him liked that she could stand toe-to-toe with him.
"I refuse to work as a thief for hire anymore, especially for you," She glared up at him.
"And why the hell not?" He demanded and the close sexual heat of him drove Savine wild. She just grew more unhinged by the millisecond.
"Because!" She started to yell because her mouth was no longer attached to her brain. If her tongue was a puppet, her heart now pulled its strings.
"I don't wanna be a thief you want to fuck!"
Ash quickly lost his frown at her words.
"Goddamnit Ash! I like you, a hellava lot! There, I've said it!" Savine threw her hands up in the air.
"But you don't make it, easy either," she pointed out. "I want to get to know you better because I care but I can't do both. I can't be yours and your thief, all at the same time."
"Then don't be," he agreed in a much softer tone and Savine gaped a little in shock.
"What?" She blurted and Ash's eyes grew softer.
"You are not a thief I want to fuck, Savine," he cupped her face so that she could meet his eyes.
"You are a woman I want to make love too."
Savine kissed Ash to extol the words he just spoke. Her kiss became an act of worship that connected her lips to his ear so she could tell him things she never told another.
"I've never made love to anyone before," she whispered into the intimate space between them.
She couldn't recall how she ended up lying on the bed exactly but she knew it was because of Ash. His skilled hands stripped her down to her underwear and he charmed her body to lie down for him.
Ash's heated silver eyes paused in his perusal of her aroused body and flashed to her eyes. The man was still fully clothed while he crouched over her bend knees and all that silky black and red hair of his, spilled forward like a waterfall. The only thing bare about him was his feet.
A hint of surprise enlightened his gaze and something else… wariness.
"Are you a virgin, Savine?" He asked in a more serious tone and he looked relieved when she shook her head with a sheepish laugh.
"It's just," she sat up properly against the pillows and chewed on her lower lip.
"Just what?" Ash shrugged off his jacket and tossed it uncaringly to the floor. Savine tried not to get too distracted by his arms and concentrated on his hypnotic silver eyes.
"You said… you wanted to make love to me."
"I did." He reached to take his shirt off next and Savine tried not to moan at the sight of his bare chest. His eyes travelled down her body, once more with that heated stare of his. As if he was mapping out and planning how he would go about pleasing her body.
"I've never made love to anyone either." He gently cupped her knees and Savine strangely felt closer to him due to his own confession but she also felt nervous. Ash felt her leg muscles tense up and looked into her eyes. He sensed her unease by instinct.
"You're perfect." Savine relaxed at his heartfelt words and he leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" The question surprised her greatly but she kept her reaction at bay. She thought her consent was a given when she kissed him.
The sincerity in Ash's silver eyes were unlike anything she had ever seen before. He really wanted to know.
"Yes, more than anything," she looked up at him lovingly and Ash smiled a rare smile that lit up his silver eyes beautifully, she thought. He then did a rather peculiar thing, he rubbed his stubble to check the smoothness.
"I need to shave, I'll be right back." He smoothly left her side with his long legs and Savine followed him with her eyes. He grabbed his backpack and disappeared into the bathroom
"Okay." She felt quite warmed by his thoughtfulness. Usually, she had to request such things to avoid whisker burn. She relaxed on her side and heard him potter around the bathroom for a minute or two. Her heartbeat speeded up with anticipation when he came back and she quickly got the idea to strike a sexy pose when he looked up, after dropping his backpack beside the bed.
Ash felt his freshly shaven jaw line slack at the sight of Savine. He was finally meeting the seductress. Her long legs were crossed at the ankles and she was pushing herself up to sit. Her green eyes grew half-hooded and she ran her tongue slowly across her full lips. Ash was aching for her before but now he was rock hard.
Savine, in all of her curvaceous and soft skin glory, crawled towards him on the bed and she made a silent come hither motion with her hand. Ash was by her side in a millisecond and he watched her rise up onto her knees. Her hands slid up his leather pants and she kissed his washboard stomach. Ash panted at the brush of her lips across his heated skin.
He wanted nothing more than to be hers for an eternity and more in that moment but he knew it couldn't be. They only had this and he was going to pay for it, dearly. Artemis will find out his discrepancies, she always did but right now, he couldn't careless. For one true moment of bliss in Savine's arms, he will gladly take the beating for it.
"Savine," he said her name like a prayer and he looked down into her green eyes like she was the god and him, a mere mortal instead. She slipped her hands into the back pockets of his pants and gently squeezed him.
"Yes, baby?" She lightly traced his abs with her tongue but she kept her green eyes on him. It was only hours ago that they were making out in the storeroom and now they were here. How had it come to this? She briefly wondered and when Ash reached to cup her face, she got her answer when her skin tingled.
Three long months of desire and longing for something she knew she couldn't have.
"Never stop touching me," he pleaded and Savine smiled against his skin. "I'll only stop if you tell me too." Ash groaned at her words.
"Is there anything else you want from me?" She turned her head to kiss his palm and Ash breathed deeply in her arms.
"I don't like having my hair pulled," he confessed and Savine nodded like it was no big deal, which surprised him. It took a lot of guts for him to say that.
"Anything else?" She continued with quick precision.
"I don't like it when people breathe on my neck."
"No problem," She smiled and again, his hang-ups were no big deal. Ash relaxed incredibly but also felt a bit emotional by her acceptance without asking why.
"Try not to scratch my head too much," she barely got her request out before he was kissing the living daylights out of her again on the bed. His long hair fanned around them and she concentrated on keeping her hands around his waist. Ash carefully caressed the back of her head when he devoured her mouth and she stroked his leather-clad legs with her feet.
The intimate space between them quickly burned up to a blazing inferno and Savine couldn't take it anymore. She hooked her legs around his hips and rolled Ash to his back. She paused to admire his beautiful face for a moment before she dove into the gorgeous sea that was Ash.
She held her breath while she kissed her way down his neck and collarbone. Ash groaned. Her mouth and hands traced the contours of his body with an agonizing slowness that was tender. No one had touched him like this before, like he was something precious. Everybody else touched him in a needful, demanding way because they craved something dark from him. But not Savine. Her touch was freely given. Ash's eyes glistened.
He couldn't keep his eyes open as she kissed down his chest, pausing to take a tight nipple into her mouth. "Yes," he hissed.
Her bent head moved further down his body at leisurely slow pace. She lathered his skin with her mouth. Ash's fingers itched to hurry her descent so he grasped the edges of the blanket. The world swirled around him as his breathing became more labored. He was going to explode before she even touched him.
"Someone's getting excited."
He opened his eyes to meet her pleased expression and he quivered when she dipped her tongue into his belly button.
"And impatient," he added softly. He was dying to explore her body
Savine looked down at his hardened bulge then up at him.
"I've noticed," she indicated to his clenched fists and smirked. "But it's my turn to explore you first."
She reached to undo his pants and Ash helped her to peel his leather pants off. He lay back down and stretched out for her eyes only. God, he was magnificent. From the tips of his long hair and all the way down his dark and hairy legs. No wonder every woman she'd met so far wanted to know more about this man. If she took naked pictures of him and sold them, she would be filthy rich. But she would never do that. A rather possessive and protective side of her pushed to the forefront of her thoughts that very second. This man was too precious to be ogled. He was built to be treasured.
His beauty made her speechless. She could only marvel and she did. Ash clenched the blankets harder while she ran her hands up his legs and he groaned when she teased his inner thighs with her tongue.
"You're killing me here, Savine," he forced out and his heart fluttered at her sudden giggle.
"Patience, love, patience."
His cock stood proudly near her face and he hissed when she finally touched him. Savine stroked his length and ran the pad of her thumb over his tip. His body immediately responded to her touch and his hips jerked. He had no warning when Savine suddenly lowered her head.
Warmth engulfed him and his lids shuttered. He watched her head bob and his insides churned. His stomach muscles contracted and his toes curled. He was falling over a cliff into heaven and there was no way he could stop himself. He felt shocked at how quickly he was losing it. He had to warn her, make her stop before it was too late.
His body was at war with his brain. His hips thrust upward, wanting to go deeper, while he tried to grasp her shoulders to push her away. But he underestimated her determination. Savine's rigorous movements intensified and she fought hard against her gag reflex so she relaxed her throat to take him deeper. Her mouth and hands did things to him that made his eyes roll back.
She moaned around him and the vibration sent him over the edge. His orgasm came hard and fast. That was when he tasted pure bliss and unaltered pleasure for the first time in his long existence. He entire world did a backflip and he came crashing down with a shout. In the back of his mind, it registered to him that she hadn't lifted her head in time.
Savine swallowed the salty taste of him down, wiped her mouth and crawled up his body. Her eyes held a satisfied glow in the darkness.
"Sorry," Ash breathed, his body still shaking with aftershocks.
"Sorry for what?"
"I-I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay. If I didn't want you to, I would've stopped." She snuggled into his chest.
He blinked, staring down at her in surprise. He'd expected her to be upset. No one liked his mess. "Savine." Guilt gnawed at him.
"It's fine, really. I was into it as much you were." She laid her chin on his chest. "You liked it, didn't you?"
"Of course, I did. It's just…" his voice trailed off.
"There's a first time for everything, right?" she smiled and planted a soft kiss on the center of his chest.
"I love how comfortable you make me feel. It makes me want to take leaps with you." Her brows rose questioningly. "Is that okay?"
Ash hugged her close and kissed her fully. "It's more than okay," he said softly. Savine moaned at the taste of him combined with his delectable tongue. The passion in his kiss astounded her and when he started to harden against her stomach, she looked down at him with raised eyebrows.
"Already to go again?" She breathed and Ash rolling her beneath him was her answer. His mouth was like liquid fire while he suckled her neck. Her mind spun by the intense passion, he explored her body with. His hands seemed to be all over her body at once. Her underwear disappeared in a blur and she quivered at the full contact. Nothing separated them.
She felt like she was stroking a man made out of flames and together they were building a bonfire made out of erotic heat. Savine was not a virgin; she'd experienced sex before, but never so intensely. When Ash took her breasts in his mouth and suckled, growling gently from pleasure, she nearly lost it. She bit her bottom lip to keep from letting out a moan.
The sexual magnetism between them, the heat, the passion, the erotic feel of his tongue doing things to her body was too much for her. Ash would not let her hide from him mentally, physically or emotionally, he took over her completely. She just knew sex with this man would be devastating and she didn't care. There was no way; she was passing up on this experience even if it was only once.
Not once. Multiple times. Ash told her otherwise when he caught wind of her aroused thoughts and that was a promise he was going to keep. He was addicted and too far gone by this point. Savine crumbled with a moan when he took her where she needed him to most with his mouth and he was relentless with his need to see her break apart. She held onto the blankets for dear life so she wouldn't grab his hair. And Ash stayed true to his word, especially when he buried his tongue deep inside of her and had her screaming out orgasm after orgasm. She quickly lost count on how many he pulled from her body.
But that was only the beginning.
"Ash," she moaned his name and her body still spasmed from her latest orgasm when he thrusted two long fingers easily inside. The fullness was welcome against her oversensitive flesh but it still wasn't what she needed. She reached for his shoulders and she swore he looked like some ancient god when he crawled up her body to abide her request. In her post-coital blissful state, she wrapped her legs around his hips.
"Please, Ash?" She pleaded against his mouth. "I want you." She stroked his face and Ash kissed her with great need. He would do anything for her from this moment onwards but he wanted to look into her eyes when he took her for their first time.
Gripping her hips, he rolled to his back and pulled her on top of him so that she straddled him. It would be better for her this way to get used to his size. Savine sat up, placing her warm palms flat against his chest. He shivered as he watched her green eyes darken seductively. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, giving him a sexy grin. He was about to reach for his pants for a condom when her next words stopped him.
"Don't worry, I'm protected and I take it your clean otherwise we wouldn't have reached this far."
She looked down at him with absolute trust and he nodded. He had no words in that moment. Her beauty, what she made him feel, blindsided him. He could only move. After quickly readying himself, Savine hovered over him. He licked his lips with anticipation as she slowly lowered herself onto him and their eyes locked as she started to rock against him when she grew accustomed to his girth. He cupped her breasts, loving the warm tightness of her body surrounding him. They fit together so perfectly. He wished they could stay like this forever. Her eyes started to flutter shut and he growled against the action.
"Stay with me."
Her hands rose to cover his as she arched her back and rode him. She moaned as he thrusted deeper. "I'm here," she panted and Ash groaned as her walls tightened around him.
Everything he'd been feeling came pouring out and he didn't want to stop. A stray tear fell against his will. Savine rode him harder and faster, sending his mind closer to bright skies.
Tears glistened in her eyes as she held his gaze. "I don't want to stop," she moaned.
"Then don't," he pleaded, his voice hoarse with emotion.
Something strange was happening; Savine could feel it growing inside her body. It wasn't just the frighteningly intense orgasm that was steadily growing with each dominating thrust that rocked her entire body, it was a spiritual connection reaching out, spiraling out of her body to join with his. She wanted to scream, whether in terror or ecstasy she didn't know, but she couldn't. Her eyes fluttered shut. She was too overwhelmed by the out of body experience.
Suddenly her eyes popped wide open. Something clicked, connected, and sent her into an orgasm so intense; she fell into him. With one final thrust, Ash tumbled after her into an earth-shattering orgasm.