Lisa tilted her head back, moaning involuntarily as Jackson lapped softly at her delicate neck, slowly walking his lips past her collarbone, to her chin, until their lips finally met. His powerful arms encircled her waifish waist, pulling her body tightly against his, as close as he could. He wanted to feel all of her, all of it, her entire body and soul intermeshed with his.

Jackson felt euphoric waves wash over him as her soft lips pressed willingly back against his, returning the kiss softly, sweetly, delicately yet passionately. Jackson smiled into her mouth as he thought of those two words, the two words which seemed to so sum up his Lisa, his prize. Delicate, yet strong. Shy, yet passionate. Assured, yet conflicted. He ran his lips against hers. She truly was a walking contradiction.

And Jackson couldn't get enough.

Lisa was taken aback by the tenderness of his touch. His lips were passionate, his tongue prowling, not probing, as he gently explored her mouth. Lisa felt a momentary twinge of comfort, safely ensconced between his strong, muscular arms, and for a moment, she forgot they were in his apartment. She forgot that she was wearing this damn, short dress per his boss' request, she forgot about the handcuffs, the emotional abuse, the physical dominance, everything.

All Lisa felt in this moment was Jackson's passionate lips. And they felt so good. Lisa was exhausted.

Exhausted.

Tired of fighting, of the mental games, of being pinned down and tied up, tortured. It was all so exhausting. In this moment, it felt like Jackson was the only thing holding her up. It felt like being on the cusp of some sort of wonderful sleep, dreaming. For so long her life had been fight or flight. It felt so good to instead just freeze, no, to melt, to simply give in to Jackson, into his touch, into his kiss, into his arms. She closed her eyes, feeling her muscles go to mush for the first time in days as she leaned into Jackson's strong arms, and drank in the first loving affection she had felt in so long.

Lisa winced as she thought back to the cold handcuffs, to the bindings, to Logan's smirking face as she trapped her alone in her worst nightmare. She felt tears threaten to trickle from her eyes as her mind wandered, as her situation began to sink in.

But Jackson kissed her cheek gently, and her heart fluttered again, distracting her mind from her reality, pulling her back into the dream. She felt his warm embrace, his caring, sturdy arms. They felt nice, he felt nice.

It had been so long since anyone had felt nice.

Jackson could feel Lisa's body go nearly limp against his as he moved his hands slowly down her waist and toward her hips. He paused to caress the small of her back, grinning as he felt her body quiver in pleasure. His breathing was heavy as continued to devour her, drinking in her soft scent as he kissed her cheek and buried his head into her hair.

Honey, hibiscus flowers, gin blossoms.

How the delicate scents danced around his nostrils, tantalizing him. He felt his breath catch momentarily in his chest as he inhaled her deeply.

"Jackson…" Lisa whispered as she ran her hands through his soft, dark hair.

It was Jackson.

And in the moment, he almost felt like he could be her Jackson. She felt a wave of emotions begin to overwhelm her at the thought. What did it all mean? Lisa had no idea. She had no idea what lurked behind her growing sense of panic, of frustration. Suddenly, Lisa grabbed at him wildly, pulling him into a deep and rough kiss, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.

It all felt so surreal, like a dream, she wondered if this was really happening. Had she finally lost it? Had captivity finally done her in? She opened her eyes, half expecting to wake up chained to his bed like some sort of pet yet again. But her hands were still free, and she twirled her wrists to be sure, eliciting a small chuckle from Jackson as her wrists unintentionally tickled the side of his head.

"My Lisa…" Jackson muttered into her mouth as he kissed her lips hungrily. It was ecstasy, running his tongue across her small, sweet mouth. He had dreamed of this since they met, but had never acknowledged it to himself. In his line of work, there was no love, no yearning, no soft, tender touches.

No.

There was only obsession, pain and dominance. Attraction was to be acted on, not savored lovingly like this. Jackson's head spun, dizzy from Lisa's intoxicating scent, drunk from her soft touch, the feeling of her taut body between his burly fingers. He wanted to freeze time, to stay in this moment forever.

Jackson wanted to ignore the threatening thudding of responsibilities, consequences and reality. All were beating against his mind, warning him. The reality of what was happening to him, the reality of those damn emotions he could no longer fully suppress, the consequences if he failed to mold Lisa in his image, the responsibility he had to keep her safe from the sadistic urges of his company.

It couldn't happen. This couldn't happen. Not like this.

Jackson wanted to pull away, but struggled to find the strength. The anger pulsing through him had given away to raw desire, to passion, and he bided his time, wondering just how many seconds longer he could savor this bliss. The thoughts were beginning to overwhelm him now, the chatter of responsibilities, his business, his reputation and his life filled his head. But what about her life, Lisa's life?

Lisa's life.

He cared for her life, didn't he? Deep down? Of course he did. Jackson knew he cared for Lisa's life. In some sense. But, his defenses were reawakening now. The window of bliss was fast closing. He knew he couldn't suspend time forever. The rage and the subsequent helplessness began to bubble in his throat once more. How could she make him feel like this? His anger gave way to frustration.

No, how could he let Lisa make him feel like this?

He kissed her once more, savoring the taste, the tickle, every sensation. It was a stupid question, one with an answer so obvious Lisa herself had guessed it. She had seen right through him, challenged him, and made him admit it. Part of him hated her for that, for possessing such power over him. It was unnatural, unacceptable, especially for a man in his position, and yet he couldn't ignore it any longer. He hated her effect on him, the way she touched his every nerve.

And yet Jackson couldn't deny any longer, as he held her quivering body between his hands, that he loved her.

Love. His rational half spat on the concept and furiously tried to shake it from his mind. Love was a dangerous game, especially in a business like his. It was a fact, cold logic, and yet here he was, momentarily ignoring logic and acting on pure feeling. Lisa's touch had brought it out of him. In that moment, he both loved and hated her for reawakening such ancient emotions he had believed long dead. Emotions were a dangerous game.

And yet here he was playing it.

"Aw, young love."

Jackson's shoulders fell as a calm and all too familiar voice sounded from the doorway.