"You up for some grub?" Jack inquired, stepping out of her bedroom. "I did just go shopping, and all that food will spoil if it's not eaten."
Riddick cocked his eyebrow at her. "Don't know about eating, but I'll take some of that tequila you just bought. It's only fair, seeing's how you finished the last bottle all by yourself. And it's been too long since I've been able to cut loose."
Almost seven months after the incident with Dio, Jack and Riddick had moved into a larger apartment, not only to accommodate Riddick, who was now her live-in body guard, but also to forget the past. Riddick could tell that she had a lot of memories associated with her old place. A lot of memories about Dio.
"Oh my god, you're the man of my dreams!" Jack mock swooned, pretending to faint her way into the kitchen. The comment had Riddick caught off guard until she continued. "And I can't help it if people don't take a break from trying to kill me."
She returned a minute later with the bottle of tequila, two shot glasses, and two beers.
"I don't know 'bout you, but I prefer my liquor straight. Screw that lime and salt bullshit." She made a face, crinkling her nose.
Riddick's eyes widened and he smiled, a genuine smile - they had become more frequent lately. Her pixie-like features twisted into a grimace was...well, damn it, it was cute.
Goin' soft on me? he asked himself. 'Cute' is not a word that should be in my vocabulary. 'Specially since you've seen what this woman's got.
He had been Jack's bodyguard since the incident, and had gotten plenty of practice kicking asses and taking names. Jack had told him that a lot of people were pissed that she had taken over the movement, thinking her incapable of measuring up to Dio and his leadership skills. Riddick knew the truth and it gave him more of a reason to defend her life. She was ten times the leader Dio had been, changing almost everything that he had set up. She had pointed out flaws in attack and defense plans, changed entry and exit rules of the planet, realizing that it was all too easy for a spy to sneak in. She studied ship and skiff schematics until her eyes were bloodshot and she could no longer hold her head up, but she could point out a defect in an exposed main-frame without so much as a second thought. She had heightened security around the planet, sending 'watch-dog' satellites into orbit as a sort of perimeter around it. The verification process at the docking bays had been nonexistent - Jack set up the rules and regs for that too. And the way it looked to Riddick, that spelled bad news for the Company. They had already sent three teams to try and infiltrate the planet, and three times the cons on Nazarek 565 had gotten a really nice fireworks show. No, Jack definitely was not a woman to be crossed.
And the thing that impressed Riddick most of all was the fact that she was still Jack. She hadn't gotten all high and mighty about her new position, just hunkered down, put her nose to the grindstone, and did the best she could. Which was why, this afternoon, upon arriving home she had declared that they were taking the weekend off.
"'Scuse me?" he had asked, thinking he had heard her wrong.
"You heard me, we're taking the weekend off. If you want to get out of here, be my guest. I've got thirty guys setting up right now all around this building, seven of them out in my hallway alone, so you can relax, really."
"And what are your plans?" He had asked, not being able to help himself. It had become habit, asking her about the small details of her day so he was left with little surprises. Plus, he hadn't wanted to go anywhere and was interested to find out what she was going to be doing.
"You kidding me?" she had asked laughing, "I'm getting wasted! You're welcome to join me if you like. Even though you can't stand me, I understand your undying loyalty to this job." She loved to screw with him.
"Are you gettin' ready to sleep under the table? 'Cause that's where I'm putting you at the end of the night."
"You're on!" she had replied, taking on his challenge.
"So are we going to do a shot, or should we just sit around and stare at each other all night?"
He realized that she had caught him reminiscing. Riddick bared his teeth at her and growled. "Bring it on kid. Though, I wouldn't object to staring at you all night, either."
Jack blushed and puffed out her chest, pretending to be angry to disguise her pleasure at his comment. "Kid? KID?! I am your boss, Mr. Richardson, so you had better shape up, or I'll have your ass thrown off this - "
She got no further as Riddick, in the blink of an eye, had brought out his shiv and was holding it next to her neck. It was only there for a second when he removed it, spun it around and placed it back in the waistband of his cargo pants. "You'll do what to my ass again?" he asked, and Jack grinned at their little private game.
"See," Jack said still smiling, and bringing up her shot glass, "that's why I hired you. Just don't get all stiff in the joints, old man." She giggled and tossed back the shot, banging the glass on the table. Her mouth turned downward for just a moment, then it was gone.
Old man, huh? "You haven't seen half of what I can do," Riddick growled. Internally he smiled as he watched the color rise in her cheeks. He threw back his shot and then cracked open both beers. Handing her one of the open beers, Riddick intentionally brushed his fingers against hers. She blushed an even darker shade of red and jerked her beer toward her, almost spilling some in the process.
Good to see I get to her almost as much as she gets to me. I wonder how far I can push her...
"Hello, wake up call for Mr. Richardson. Where are you man?" She had caught him thinking again. It was time to test the waters.
"I was wondering..." he said quietly.
"Wondering what?" she asked curiously.
"Wondering how far down that blush goes." Riddick finished, a smile playing at his lips. His eyes traced a line down her neck to the gentle slope of her breasts underneath her tank top. He knew she had seen him looking at her when she blushed again. Oh this was going to be fun.
Evidently, deciding to play his game, Jack poured a double shot for each of them and held hers up in a toast.
"To us," she paused, a wicked grin lighting her features. "May I get you drunk enough to have my way with you."
Riddick's eyes widened in surprise, and Jack laughed before tipping up the glass and finishing the double shot in one gulp. After a moment, Riddick followed suit, banging his glass down onto the table when he was done. This went on for almost an hour, Jack keeping up with him, until more than half the bottle of tequila was gone, and empty beer bottles decorated almost every flat surface within their reach. He was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, and was amazed at Jack's tolerance. She was half his size, and almost nine inches shorter, yet there she was, bright eyed, still pouring shots.
"Pour me another double," Riddick said, standing. "I've got to go take care of business."
"You're breaking the seal!" he heard Jack warning him as he made his way to the bathroom and he smirked. She was one hell of a woman.
In reality, Riddick hadn't needed to use the bathroom at all, he had just needed to get away from her. Her scent, clean and fresh, assaulted him every minute he was near her. And her body - the things he wanted to do to her body would have her screaming his name. He stared into the mirror and ran a hand over his face. The debate in his head raged.
Take her, you know she wants you.
But she's Jack, 14 year old Jack.
No she's not. That woman out there is 21 year old Jack and she wants you.
She doesn't even know who I am.
So what? Would knowing your name change her physical attraction to you?
Maybe. Maybe she hates me for leaving her and'll try to shiv my ass if I tell her I'm Riddick.
And maybe she'll forgive you and let you make it up to her.
He was getting nowhere. Realizing he had been in the bathroom for almost ten minutes, he opened the door and stepped out. He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't heard Jack turn on the radio. Riddick heard the beat of the music as he walked down the hallway, and was about to ask for his shot when he saw her. She was dancing with her back to him, swaying with the rhythm. Her hips twisted seductively, side to side, giving Riddick a good look at her posterior. He remembered thinking on many occasions when she walked in front of him how nice it looked, tight and firm, just the right size to grab a hold of. And now here she was, flaunting all that God had given her, driving Riddick up a wall - and she didn't even know it.
Before he realized what he was doing, he was moving toward her. She brought her arms up above her head, still dancing, unaware that she was being watched.
"Beautiful," Riddick whispered, too low for her to hear him over the music. His hand reached out to touch her, but then he withdrew it. His body was telling him to grab her, taste her skin, feel her against him. His mind however knew that she might see his intimate advances as a repeat of what had happened seven months ago.
"Is this a private party?" Riddick asked out loud.
Jack whirled around, a blush creeping over her face.
"Jesus Richardson, you scared the shit out of me!" she exclaimed, shutting off the radio. "Don't do that!"
"Sorry," Riddick growled, allowing Jack to see how un-sorry he really was. His grin faded after a few moments and he moved closer to her. "Jack," he started, not sure how to continue. It was hard holding back, but he didn't want to scare her. Half of him wanted to profess his desire, and the other half wanted to tell her who he really was.
"Yes?" she replied, sounding genuinely curious.
"Do you realize what you do to me?" His voice was gravelly, barely a whisper.
"Do...?" she looked perplexed.
"Do you trust me?" Riddick asked her abruptly. He knew that he couldn't contain his lust for her much longer. "Really trust me?"
"Richardson, of course I do, but I don't see wha-"
That was as far as she got before Riddick, placing his hands on either side of her face, guided his mouth to hers. It took a little coaxing to part her lips and once he did their tongues met, twisting and caressing. He didn't want to stop, didn't want to let her go, but her hands pushed him back and as they parted he felt her shiver.
"You're not afraid of me, are you?" he asked jokingly.
