A/N: Enjoy! :)
Grace turned over and watched Alexandra sleep. The other woman's eyes were closed and the lids looked almost bruised. She had suffered
the past couple days as the shoulder wound healed without benefit of pain killers. At least the doctor had shown enough mercy to
give Alex something to help her sleep through some of it. Grace almost stroked Alexandra's cheek, but pulled away to avoid waking the
other woman. Grace slid from between the sheets shivering lightly at the chill in the room.
She moved into the bathroom of the former old hotel room and pulled a tablet computer from its hiding place behind a false drawer front. She closed the fake door carefully, latching it back together with a small and swift upward pop. She opened the computer and placed it beside the sink. She triggered a program and turned to pull on a robe that hung on one of a pair of hooks behind the bathroom door.
Grace settled the silk on her shoulders and tied the belt tightly as if girding herself for battle. In a sense, she was. Amanda didn't have friends. She had protegees and tools and enemies. Grace never really felt secure in the more positive of those states. Reaching over, she pulled the shower curtain and turned on the water. The sound of water obscured the small sounds of the computer waking up. Grace moved to the door and closed her eyes listening carefully for any noise from the other room. She didn't hear her lover, probably too exhausted to wake to the white noise of water or the things the shower covered. Grace smiled tightly before she turned on her program.
"Punctual. Very good," Amanda noted before sipping delicately at her tea cup. She was apparently still enjoying the jet set life. She was dressed very carefully and the wall behind her was decorated in a lovely figured fresco.
Grace growled slightly at the back of her throat at the other woman's tone. "Do not start with me this morning, Amanda."
"Oh dear," Amanda commiserated. "Someone has not been exercising you properly. I really must have a word with young Alexandra on
the subject."
Grace straightened up. "Bitch," she whispered.
Amanda chuckled into her cup. "Have you been working on your boundaries, Grace?"
"My boundaries are just fine. Thank you." Grace's arms crossed and her face was stony. She hated Amanda pressing her buttons. She had
played apprentice to this bitch and that was quite enough time being manipulated thank you very much.
"Very emotional response." Amanda tilted her head. "You are her handler. Make sure you are aware of that fact even when your
little charge is... wooing you. Understand?"
"Whatever. Are we done with the love fest, Amanda?"
Amanda's brow arched delicately as her eyes traveled to take in her protegee's state of semi dress. "It would appear that you are dressed for one. I will simply end our status meeting with this... Keep an eye on your charge Grace. It would appear that the major players are flying down to New Orleans in ten days. Given the level of frothing young Alexandra has been doing of late on the subject of her former coworkers, it would not be out of character for her to behave... somewhat irrationally." She placed her cup on the saucer and placed them both somewhere off screen.
Grace frowned. "Why would Division send its best and brightest to New Orleans?" She wracked her brains, but couldn't think of anything big enough to draw down one of Division's major players, much less several of them.
"That is unclear at this time. You just insure that she does not go there. We will give Alexandra her chance, but not until she is fully
capable. She requires more time to recover." Amanda's eyes flicked over Grace's shoulder. "Better take your shower before you use up all the hot water." She smiled thinly and ended the connection.
Grace's face was full of thunder. "Bitch," she whispered again before plucking at the false drawer and tucking the tablet computer back in its hiding spot. She was starting to untie the belt when a knock sounded on the door. Grace startled and turned to open the bathroom door.
Alexandra's blue eyes slid slowly down Grace's body. Her fingers touched the soft bare skin left uncovered by the overlap of the Silk. She smiled with a seductive hunger. Her naked form moved with feline grace though one shoulder was still black with bruising and stitched together.
Grace slowly backed into the bathroom, Alex moving to stay inches away. "How long have you been up, Alex?" Inwardly, she fretted that Alexandra would have heard something of her and Amanda's conversation, especially that of Amanda noting her relationship with Alex, while it had required pretending at being the lover, was drifting a bit far into that territory. She hated that bitch all over again for that. She bit back a groan as the heat of Alex's body pressed against her. That scent, that unique scent that was all her lover enveloped her.
Alexandra's fingers brushed down the front of the robe separating the sides and leaving it open. Alex's hand gently cupped a breast and brushed her thumb over the nipple. "I just woke up," she said matter-of factly. "I woke up hungry."
Grace's eyes closed as Alex's fingers barely touched her skin waking it. She groaned quietly. "We could go down," she suggested weakly.
Alex pressed her back toward the shower. "Robe off," she said, her voice hard. "We will be eating in this morning."
Dropping the robe, Grace leaned against the cold tile of the shower wall, as Alex moved in after her, eyes hard and bright as a lion over a gazelle. Alexandra drew the other woman's wrists up the wall and smacked them there lightly. "Stay," she commanded as she knelt to devour her lover.