Incoming and Outgoing
"Do you have any plans tonight?" Fitz asked into his phone. He was sitting in his office with a huge smile on his face, talking to Olivia before she darted into a meeting with the Joint Chiefs. He was about to go home and watch some basketball while eating leftover take out. Hearing her voice before leaving for the day was the best way to end it.
He chuckled at what she said as he leaned back in his chair. Ever since their first date, Fitz had felt infinitely lighter. The press and the public were still in the dark about his relationship with Olivia, and that was okay because they planned on taking it slow in announcing it. Something he was just fine with because they had forever together. The fact that this relationship wasn't something new to them only strengthened his yearning for them to legally start forever.
Of course, he'd have to propose first, but they were a long way away from that happening. They had to let America know that he was in the picture first, and then get them comfortable with seeing him and Liv together all the time. To know they were a couple. They were supposed to talk about when the announcement would be made tomorrow night. The knowledge of the waiting constantly tried to suck the happy from his innermost place. Fitz chose to think of happier things to help keep the feelings of impatience at bay.
Like the fact that he had already started looking at engagement rings online. He hadn't made any final decisions yet, because they had to date for a while first. Several of the rings he had seen at different jewelry stores online had met his very high expectations of what he had in mind for Olivia. The rings were beautiful and big enough without being too big and gaudy. The problem was, he couldn't picture any of them on her little finger. So, he kept looking under the anonymity of the internet.
Her voice brought him back to the present. "Fitz?"
"Sorry. I'm here. What were you saying?"
"Nothing terribly important. Just that I love you." she teased.
"My favorite three words." he replied with a smile.
"Really? I thought your favorite three words were let's get nak..."
"We've got incoming." Huck announced.
"Jesus, Lurch! You scared the shit out of me." Fitz exclaimed as his lusty grin turned to shock in an instant. He felt like a teenager being busted making out with his girlfriend.
"Is that Huck?" Olivia asked.
"Yea." Fitz said, answering her.
"Is that the President?" Huck asked with a small smile.
Fitz shot his co-worker a scowl and then a middle finger.
"Let me talk to him." Olivia asked sweetly.
"No way. He needs to find his own woman to talk to."
"She's asking for me huh?" Huck asked with a chuckle. He lived to fuck with Fitz any way that he could when it came to Olivia. It was so easy to get under his skin. It made him eager to do it all the time.
Fitz kept his eyes on Huck, but spoke into the phone. "You two can chat on your own time. We've got a client on the way up right now and you have a meeting of your own to get into."
"Fine. But at least put me on speaker really quick. Pleeeeeease." Olivia tried to make her voice sound as sweetly as possible so he would be talked into it.
Fitz rolled his eyes but touched a button on the face of his phone and said, "go ahead."
"Hey, Huck!" she sang.
"Hello, Madam President." Huck said shyly.
"How's my favorite man at..."
Fitz touched the face of the phone and pointed to the elevator, hoping Huck would take the hint and get the hell out of there before Liv made his head any bigger. "Don't do that, Liv."
"Don't do what?" Olivia asked innocently. Cyrus glanced at his watch and gave her a look of her own, signaling it was time for her to end the call. She held up her index finger.
"Don't tell Huck he's your favorite man at Grant and Associates. His head doubles in size and he grins a lot when he's around me. It's just creepy to witness. He also turns into a giant asshole for me to share space with. You know this because I've told you before."
Olivia began to laugh.
"Besides, don't you have a meeting to go to?" She was already forgiven. What he wouldn't give to be able to see her right now. Damn work getting in the way of his very happy private life.
"I do, and you have incoming." He sounded playful, which was the point after all since he had a client coming up. It made her smile to know that he had called her out of the blue just to check in on her. Fitz was a keeper, and she couldn't wait to make him legally all hers.
"Call me later if you get some time please."
"You want a bedtime story?" she asked seductively.
"Yes please. In person. And I want you to tuck me in and keep me warm too."
"Goodbye, Mister." Olivia chuckled, ending the call with him and followed Cyrus into yet another meeting.
Fitz had just enough time to set his phone down on his desk and make his way to the elevators before the shiny metal doors slid soundlessly open. A woman lifted her head and took in the sight of Fitz and Huck. Her eyes shifted between the two men, each dressed very different, but also very intimidating in their own way. One of them was in jeans and flannel looking scary beyond all reason while the other donned a suit, minus the jacket, which she felt certain was draped around a chair nearby. She had done her homework and knew the answer, but asked the question anyway. "Which one of you is Grant, and which one is the associate?"
Fitz gave a polite smile to the woman and stepped forward with his right hand extended. "I'm Fitzgerald Grant, and this is my associate, Huck."
While Fitz played the nice host, Huck gave her the once over. She had straight blonde hair that hung to her shoulders. She was dressed nice, but not flashy or overly expensive. Her heels were an inch high and she had a fresh cut on her leg. Not too much bigger than a nick, but big enough that he noticed. She'd probably cut it while shaving her legs and doing any number of other tasks at the same time. If she had money, she wasn't showy with it, but if she was trying to make a decent impression, she was doing a damn good job at acting cool, calm, and collected. Her gnawed up cuticles told a different story though. Huck wondered what he was nervous about.
She shook Fitz's hand, followed by Huck's and politely replied, "it's nice to meet both of you. I'm very sorry for just dropping in at the end of the day without an appointment, but I have a proposition for you."
"Let's take this to the conference room, where we'll be more comfortable." Huck suggested. "Would you like some coffee or something cold to drink?"
"Coffee would be great. Thank you."
"Cream and sugar?"
Fitz folded his leg across his thigh and took a deep breath. Anything to avoid the strangled sound that wanted to rise up within him. It was the end of the day and Huck was acting like a perky Starbucks barista for a woman who hadn't shared something as basic as her name with them yet. He briefly wondered if Huck was going to offer to go get her dinner too.
"One of each please. Thank you."
Huck disappeared and Fitz pounced on the moment alone. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
She smiled at him from the chair beside his. "Madeline Scott."
"The name sounds familiar, but I can't quite think of why."
"The same Madeline Scott who is the campaign manager for Alena Maxwell? The woman running for Senator for the state of Ohio? That Madeline Scott?" Huck asked, setting a mug of coffee in front of her.
Fitz kept his eyes on the woman sitting beside him while Huck spit out the facts as he assumed them. He quickly wondered how Huck knew who she was, but more importantly, he wondered why he didn't. He supposed he could blame it on the fact that things in his personal life had kept him busy, but the truth of the matter was it always had. He shook off the questions for now and focused on the potential client.
"That's correct." Ms. Scott told Huck with a smile.
"Your boss has the potential to go really far." Huck commented.
"Thank you. I, along with her entire team tend to think so too."
"What can we help you with, Mrs. Scott?" Fitz asked.
"It's Miss Scott actually." She said correcting him with a smile. "To get down to brass tacks, Mrs. Maxwell would like to hire you."
"Does she have something that needs fixing in her personal or professional life?" Fitz wanted to know.
Ms. Scott shook her hand back and forth quickly. "It's nothing like that. There isn't a problem or an issue that requires attention from a professional. Not yet anyway."
"I don't...understand then. What capacity does Mrs. Maxwell want to hire me for?"
"She'd like you to run her campaign." Madeline's blue eyes flicked between both men watching for a reaction. When she didn't see one, not even remotely, it solidified the fact that she was at the right place.
"Isn't that your job?" Huck asked.
"It is." she admitted.
"You came here, on behalf of your boss, to ask us to take your job? That doesn't make any sense." Huck told her plainly.
"Alena would like for you to work alongside me on the campaign to get her elected to the seat in Ohio."
"Why would we do that?" Huck asked.
"Because of the President." Fitz supplied, studying her face. "Isn't that it?"
Ms. Scott nodded. They were very different men, but each seemed to believe in the direct approach when it came to business. She could appreciate that. Hell, she respected and admired that. Cut through the bullshit was her mantra. This was going to be a tough sell. She had known that when Alena had mentioned it to her. Having them connect the dots made it a bit simplified, in her opinion. "That's exactly right. You ran the campaign to get President Pope elected as Governor, and we would like to utilize both of you to help Alena get elected as Senator to the same state."
"I'm not sure that's the best idea."
"You already know the state. The best spots to make announcements, speeches, meet and greets. With your help and previous win for President Pope, Alena is a shoo in for the Senate seat." Madeline would all but beg if it came to it. They needed Grant and Associates to give Alena the push she needed. To have hired the same firm that got the President elected would do just the trick.
"There's the first problem already." Fitz patiently replied.
Madeline raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly at him. "What is?"
"You can't duplicate for Mrs. Maxwell what we did for Ms. Pope."
"Why not?" She was genuinely confused. What could the problem possibly be with that plan? It had earned a victory for the President. It would surely earn one for Alena as well.
"You'll seem opportunistic." Huck told her.
"I'm still waiting for the problem to be mentioned." Madeline stated.
"You think if you get the same people who successfully ran the President's campaign, and got her a win, to run an identical or very similar campaign for your boss, that it will assure her a win for that same state. Isn't that it?" Fitz said, spelling everything out plainly so there wasn't any confusion.
"Yes. That's exactly it." she admitted. "And no one is going to think she's being opportunistic. They'll think she's intelligent to have gotten the same winning team on her side."
Huck shot Fitz a look without speaking.
"Look. Men do this type of shit all the time, Mr. Grant. Why is it a problem for a woman to do it? It's sexist and dated and wrong on so many levels." She turned in her chair and got right to it. "So, what's the real problem?"
What was the problem? It would be a breath of fresh air to be working on a campaign again. It would mean lots of research, and Fitz was a beast at research. He was even better at winning. He was also a people person. He enjoyed meeting them and gauging them as voters. Nobody was better at this particular game than he was. He would be able to spend some time outside, instead of cooped up in offices all day long. Getting out and meeting voters meant just that. Getting out!
On the other hand, this woman wanted him to help run her boss' campaign. A campaign that would have him out of state and away from Liv for the next several months. It would involve a lot of flying back and forth so he could see her, because at this point, talking on the phone would not be enough. It would also mean putting off announcing their dating status because it would tarnish his potential new client's credibility having the President's boyfriend as her campaign manager. There were a lot of things to consider, other than obtaining a new client.
"If we're going to work together, and that's just an if at this point. But if that happens, I'm going to demand complete honesty. And I'll give it in return. I'm not turning the offer down, but I am saying that I will need to discuss it with Huck. We need to see where we stand with the other clients we currently have. See if we'd be able to move things around to make this happen." Fitz got to his feet and watched as Madeline followed suit.
She handed him her card and said, "My cell number is on there. I'll be expecting a call by the end of the week. If you decide you're interested, we'll set up a meeting with Elena."
Fitz shook her hand with a nod and said, "We'll be in touch. It was nice to meet you, Miss Scott."
Smiling at him she said, "likewise, Mr. Grant. Huck. I'll see myself out."
The moment the elevator doors closed with her inside Huck spoke up. They were on their way toward the table in the conference room. "What do you think?"
"I think it's an interesting offer. There's a lot to consider though. Lots of moving parts to it."
"Such as?"
"Such as they are expecting a cookie cutter experience of what we did for Liv." Fitz pointed out.
"The problem is they want to do it to the same people who voted for Olivia as President and that won't work. Voters have a long memory. They'll remember seeing us, and they'll remember that we did the same thing there. If we meet with the candidate, we're going to have to shoot that idea down."
"Agreed." Fitz nodded. "We can do some variations on what was successful in Ohio, but not the same exact thing. On the flip side, when we get her the Senate seat, we'll have a friend in a high place."
"There's that!" Huck agreed. "Of course, there are some negatives to taking this job to think about too."
Fitz sighed loudly. "The timing is fucking terrible for my personal life."
"Right?!" Huck agreed. "I mean, who has time to be away right now?"
Scowling at him Fitz demanded, "What the fuck are you going to be missing out on by being away?"
"What's it to you?" Huck demanded in a defensive tone.
"You brought it up!" Fitz said. He mimicked Hucks' voice and repeated, "'Who has time to be away right now?'"
"Man shut the hell up! You're not the only one with a personal life you know!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaait a minute." Fitz replied with a smirk. "Is there a woman in your life?"
"Shut up!"
"Like one woman? Can it be? The great womanizing Huck has finally settled down?"
Huck pushed away from the table and got to his feet. He should have known better than to try to have a normal conversation with Fitz. Of course, he gave him shit all the time about Olivia, but that was different. She was the President of the United States of America. The woman he was dating wasn't a public figure. Not by a long shot. But she did have some interesting connections.
"I'm sorry!" Fitz chuckled. "I'm sorry! Okay? Come here and tell me about this mystery woman."
"No way in hell am I telling you anything about my personal life!"
"Why not? You know who I date."
"Exactly! I also know how much shit I've given you over it. I don't need it given back."
"Come on, man. I've shown you mine. The least you can do is show me yours."
"Don't ever say that to me again. It's weird." Huck stated with a scowl. He was dying to tell Fitz about her. He'd been waiting for the perfect opportunity to do so. "Her name is Quinn."
"Awww, your girlfriend's name is cuuuuuuuuuute." Fitz sang.
"Keep it up and you're gonna get your ass beat." Huck threatened.
Fitz put his elbows on the table and rested his cheeks in his palms with a sappy smile. "And where did you meet Quinn?"
"Fuck you."
"How many times have I told you that that's not a real place, buddy?" Squirming and nervous Huck was a highly entertaining thing to behold, Fitz decided. This was going to even the score on so many Liv things. He just needed to shut up and let the man talk some more.
"The shooting range." Huck said, rolling his eyes.
Fitz lifted his head abruptly. All teasing aside. "Really? You go to a shooting range? Women go there too?"
"She's not your typical woman." Huck replied with a grin.
"That goes without saying if she's into you." He watched Huck get to his feet again and Fitz sighed. "Fine. I'll stop. Tell me what she looks like."
"She's beautiful. Long brown hair, brown eyes, very curvy, and hilarious. She's the complete package."
"Do I get to meet her?"
"Someday. But that's a big reason why I'm not too hyper about leaving town."
"We have that in common. Me and Liv were supposed to go on our first public date this week. I don't think we can do that if we are going to take this job."
"Conflict of interest." Huck agreed.
"I'll have to talk it over with her. Her opinion is important to me."
"It had better be if you're gonna marry her."
Now Fitz scowled. "What the hell are you talking about? No one said anything about..."
"Really? I am an IT genius. I pull up your browser history like every afternoon for giggles. I know what you're looking for. Besides, it's not a secret. You love her and she loves you. The natural next step is marriage and kids."
"You think it would be good for her politically." Fitz stated.
"No, I think the two of you are gonna be great parents together. Screw politics."
"My thoughts exactly." Fitz answered with a smile.
As was his way, Fitz went home and began making a list of pros and cons of taking on this particular client. He had exhausted all thoughts for both sides and had a healthy list to show for it. He tipped back a crystal glass partially filled with whiskey as he looked it over to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He hadn't.
It was time to call Liv.
She answered on the third ring. "Hi, you."
"Hi back. How was your day?"
She gave a dry chuckle and repeated the question. "How was my day?"
"Yea. How was your day?"
"My day isn't over yet. Yea. It's nine o'clock and I still have to go into a meeting about a situation brewing in East Sudan. I've been up since five, I'm exhausted, I have a headache, and I skipped dinner. My day has been shitty, Fitz."
"I'll be right there with food." He realized that he hadn't eaten yet himself as he pulled his shoes back on his large feet, grabbed his jacket, and heading out the door with the phone still to his ear.
"Thank you, but that isn't necessary. I'll grab something in the residence after my meeting. I didn't mean to bite your head off. It isn't your fault my day is terrible. I'm sorry." She heard noises in the background and listened intently. "Fitz? Are you still there?"
"Yup. I'm headed to you. I'll be there in under an hour, so go get your meeting over with..."
"No." She interrupted. "What I'm saying is you don't need to do that."
"...because there is something that I need to talk to you about anyways."
"Uh oh. That doesn't sound pleasant."
"Stop being so negative. Besides, I haven't seen you since the day before yesterday. I miss you." He told her.
Olivia stopped walking in the hall and smiled. How was he going to make her cry by saying he missed her? It really had been a hell of a day. "You do?"
"Of course I do. Every day." He assured her.
"Maybe we can make out in the Oval for a minute or two?"
"Yea? I can be up for that." he said in a flirtatious tone.
"You can be up for a stiff breeze." She chuckled.
"Only if you're around. I'll be there soon, okay? I love you."
"I don't know why. You're too good for me."
"That's true. I am." He told her grinning.
"God, I miss you." she whispered.
"End the call and go deal with East Sudan so I can have your full attention when I arrive please, Madam President."
"I'll see you soon."
Fitz arrived at the White House and set down the large, brown, paper bag that he had been carrying long enough to sign himself in. A visitor's badge was given to him, he nodded curtly to the gentleman sitting behind the desk, picked the bag back up, and headed down the hall towards the Oval. Once there, the President's secretary informed him that she would be joining him once her meeting was over, and for him to wait inside for her. He and the brown paper bag went inside where Fitz began to set the food up.
The door opened and Olivia quickly began with the apologies for making him wait. "I'm so sorry, Fitz. That meeting was supposed to have ended a half hour ago. They say women talk a lot. I call bullshit on that one, my friend."
She stopped in her tracks and inclined her head closer to where he and the delicious smelling food were. She knew the answer before she even asked the question, but still she asked, "is that...?"
Fitz grinned and went to stand in front of her. "Hi, my friend. And to answer your question, you know that it is."
Olivia closed her eyes and groaned lustily before raising her arms and linking them behind his neck. "You brought me Mama's?
"I brought you Mama's." He dipped his head and pecked her lips. "You said it yourself. You skipped dinner. You can't afford to lose any weight and you need to keep your strength up to deal with these loose lipped men you work with. Besides, I hadn't eaten either and once it popped into my head nothing else would do."
"You really are too good for me."
"That's already been discussed and agreed upon. Let's eat while it's warm." Fitz advised. He led her to her desk, where the vast piles of paper had been moved out of the way. He sat down in one of the visitor's chairs across from Liv's leather chair behind the desk.
"Why do the mashed potatoes have fork marks in them?" Olivia asked, peering down at the container.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Fitz answered smoothly. It had been hell trying to remove the evidence of his nibbling earlier while in the backseat of a cab.
She squinted at him, and then touched the corner of her mouth and said, "you've got a little something there that looks like mashed potatoes."
"Really?" Fitz grabbed a napkin and began to wipe.
"No, but good thing you didn't eat any potatoes." She brought a potato and gravy laden plastic fork to her lips. The food tasted heavenly and the sound that came from her let Fitz know of her approval. "This is amazing. Thank you for feeding me."
He watched her eat, feeling satisfied that she was finally putting something into her body to nourish it. "You're welcome. You don't need to skip meals, Liv. I need you to take better care of yourself. Please."
Olivia looked into his sparkling blue eyes. To the average person, he appeared not to have a care in the world. Olivia knew him better than that. The sarcasm she intended to fire back at him died on her lips. Whatever it was that he had to talk about, it was serious. And it had him worried too. She ate her fried chicken in silence, trying to think of the best way to get him to talk.
"I was offered a job today." he said quietly.
"Oh? That was your incoming when we were on the phone earlier?"
Fitz nodded, still eating and choosing his words carefully.
"Is it anyone I know? Something salacious you can tell me about? Anything to take my mind off this horrific day."
"That client is also what I meant when I mentioned that I needed to talk to you earlier." Why was he starting to feel nervous all of a sudden?
"Oh? Who is the client?"
"Alena Maxwell."
"The woman running for the Senate seat in my home state? She's already creating lots of buzz on the hill. A lot of people are pulling for her to win. I hope that whatever it is that she came to you for won't ruin her reputation? She's got the potential to do amazing things."
"I didn't actually meet her today."
"But you just said..."
"She's the client, but I met with her campaign manager."
"Ohhhh, she has something that needs to be dealt with. That can be tricky too. Alena doesn't need her name attached to a scandal in any capacity."
"That's not what the job involves."
"I think I'm lost here. If nothing needs fixing, then what is it that needs your attention?" Olivia asked.
"Alena's campaign." Fitz admitted. "She wants me to run it."
Olivia's eyebrows went up. "Oh! In Ohio?"
"Yes. They want me and Huck to provide the exact same campaign experience that we provided for you, and they want it to end with a huge victory too."
"It's smart to hire your firm to handle that. It's also obvious and will appear opportunistic to the voters." Olivia told him before digging into her green beans.
"That's exactly what Huck told her. He'll be happy to know you had the same thought as him."
"He's a very smart man."
"Jesus." He sighed heavily.
Olivia chuckled. "What did you tell her?"
"That Huck and I had to discuss it."
"Which was code for you and I have to discuss it." she stated.
"Huck and I discussed it." he said defensively. "Thank you very much."
"Sorreeeee!" Olivia said holding her palms up towards him. She was wearing a grin so he'd know she was kidding. "And what did the two of you come up with?"
"Well, Huck has a girlfriend and isn't excited about leaving town right now."
"I knowwww! I can't wait to meet Quinn. She sounds perfect for him!"
"Of course you know about that before I do. It makes perfect sense." Fitz muttered.
"He should be able to put her into a few crowds at events and then smuggle her back to his hotel afterwards. She could talk to the crowd too and get their thoughts on the candidate. That would be infinitely harder for you and your high profile lady friend to do. What did your gut tell you about the whole thing?"
Thankfully, his plate was empty. He wiped his hands on a white paper napkin. "If I take this job, we'll win. It's what we do. Mrs. Maxwell will give us an ally on the hill and it will look good on my resume."
"If you came to work for me, you wouldn't need to pad your resume with big fancy names because I've already seen it." Her eyes dropped to his crotch. "It's very impressive."
Fitz watched her stare openly at him for a long moment before snapping his fingers in front of her face. "Hello? My eyes are up here and we were talking!"
"Sorry! Right. So, ally. Resume. Both good reasons to take the job. What else?"
"What else what?"
"Come on, Fitz. I know you. You've made a list of the reasons why taking this job is good and bad. What else did you come up with?"
"I did make a list of pros and cons. Besides the two things you called off, the only other one that really matters most is that I'll be away from you for the next seven months. That means we'll only be able to talk on the phone sporadically and most likely only at the end of the day. That means there will be weekend trips when it's convenient to see each other or random days off. It'll also mean putting off the announcement of our relationship until November because if we announce now it will appear that Alena got elected because of my relationship with you. And like you said, her name doesn't need to be linked to a scandal in any capacity."
"I understand your hesitation. If it makes you feel any better, I feel the same way. I won't like not being able to see you face to face whenever I skip a meal." She smiled at him, pushed her chair out, and went around her desk to sit on the edge of it in front of him. "But we've waited a long time to be together already. Another seven months will be difficult, but it isn't going to kill us."
"So, it won't bother you?"
"Hell yes it will bother me. This is the face of a woman masking her emotions. As a politician, I'm very good at it." She took his hand and held it in hers, setting both of them calmly on top of her lap. "We both have jobs to do. Jobs that are very demanding of our time and energy. And sometimes those jobs require us to be apart. I can't exactly take you to the G8 Summit with me this summer."
Fitz sighed in a defeated fashion. "I was so looking forward to going on vacation to Germany."
"Life's hard all around, isn't it?" Olivia teased. "I would think a trip to Ohio would be a good thing. Like a little trip down memory lane. It might make you feel closer to me."
"Or it could make me miss you even more and do something desperate like quit and march into the White House and declare my love for you in front of whoever is..."
"Stephen would tackle you to the floor instantaneously." Olivia interrupted.
"Damn it. Why couldn't I have fallen for some nice and normal girl?" He asked with a grin. His thumb began to rub circles on top of her hand.
"I'm nice!" she demanded.
"That was a good idea about Quinn. It'll keep Huck off my ass when he starts missing her and driving me insane with his whining."
"I'm full of good ideas." she told him. "So, what's the next step in this job?"
"We'll have a meeting with Alena to hammer out the details and then get started. We should be in Ohio by next week. No later than the week after." Fitz explained.
Olivia frowned. "Then why are we sitting around here like two sad sacks on our last night on Earth? We've got a week, maybe two. Let's get those pants off!"
"Are you ordering me around?" Fitz asked in disbelief.
"Take a look around, Mr. Grant. We are in my office. This is where the President of the United States gets shit done!"
I thought we were just gonna make out for a few minutes, Liv."
She frowned at him. "Make out with each other? What are we behind the high school bleachers? Get your pants off now!"
"You're a demanding little thing when you've had a bad day, aren't you?" Fitz asked grinning. He was wise enough to also be unzipping his pants as he spoke. "Don't answer that. Just come here and let me put my hands on you."
He lunged at her waist but she evaded with a giggle and dashed toward the fireplace. "It seems like you're gonna have to catch me first."
"Fine. Just know this..." He looked her straight in the eye and in a serious warning tone informed her, "I'll be gentler on you if you walk into my arms right now than if I have to chase you down."
She shivered visibly and seductively replied, "chasing me it is."