WOW!
Seriously, you guys! I am BLOWN AWAY by all of the feedback and support you've given me with this fic! I'm very humbled by it, and grateful for your time and attention! Thank you thank you thank you! You guys are awesome! It helps so much to know you all are actively following along! And there's plenty more to come, I promise! :D
SO, as a reward for all of your enthusiasm and good will, here's an even longer chapter than yesterday's! (With possibly more to come later in the day!) Happy Reading! See ya soon! :)
P.S.- the very beginning of the chapter is a little suggestive, but don't worry! It's NOT explicit! Thank you!
I felt his fingers softly trace through my hair, slowly combing it down my back, lock by lock, again and again. His touch was so delicately gentle that it sent a pleasurable little thrill down my spine with each pass.
I was lying on my stomach, in my bed, the both of us completely naked, though I couldn't exactly recall how we'd ended up there. My only guess was we'd just finished something we'd never done together before. And regardless of how or when it had happened, I knew one thing- I was quite content to lay there next to him and let him do what he was doing to me until at least the next millennium. And by him, I meant Tony.
I heard him chuckle, and I opened my eyes to gaze up at his sparkly pools of dark chocolate, which were gazing back at me, looking just as contented as I was. He was propped on an elbow over the top of me, and I rolled over onto my back so I could look at him squarely."Goosebumps," he murmured softly.
I smiled, giggling, and nodded. "Yep. And I'm enjoying every one you're giving me," I replied.
"Is that so? Well, then, Ms. Potts. You'll really enjoy this," he purred, dropping his voice into that low rumbly growl I know he used only when he was trying to persuade me (and, for the record, it had always worked) and smirking mischievously. He cupped my cheek, stroking it tenderly with his thumb before he bent down to capture my lips with his own. God, he was an amazing kisser. I kind of always suspected he might be, but the way he flicked his tongue with expert finesse before our lips met each time made my toes curl, and my head feel like it was going to pop off the whole time.
Then he slowly broke the kiss, finishing with one more soft peck before lowering his lips to lay soft, slow and very sweet kisses along my jawline, and down my throat, across my chest, and down my stomach, using that same playful tongue flick every now and again when he connected with my skin. I squeaked and giggled again, grinning like a love sick teenager as more little shivery thrills shot up and down my spine, thus creating more smatterings of goosebumps across my skin.
He chuckled again, and raised his eyes to look at me, smiling that "whole face" smile of his. It was the kind that went from his chin clear up to his eyebrows, making his expression practically glow. And I knew he only did it in those moments where he was truly happy. "See? Told ya' you'd enjoy it," he said, teasingly. "God, I love it when I'm right."
I laughed out loud and ran my fingers through his hair as he continued to shower me with feather-light kisses, moving farther and farther south on my body. I felt the burn of desire start to grow in the depths of my core, and I inhaled deeply. "Oh," I moaned, arching my back and closing my eyes as he moved down even farther. "Oh, yes, Tony," I murmured breathlessly.
"Pepper?" I heard him say.
I felt him stop, and I raised my head. "Yes?" I asked, looking at him curiously.
He moved his eyes from mine to the top of one of my thighs, and began caressing it with the very tips of his fingers. Then he brought his gaze back to me. "Knock knock," he said, smirking at me.
I gave him a bemused look. "What? What are you..."
"Knock, knock," he said again, more emphatically this time, but with the same smirk.
"Who's...there?" I asked quizzically. Now hardly seemed the appropriate time for corny jokes.
He chuckled and shook his head. "No, Pepper," he said. "Knock, kn..."
I jolted straight up, suddenly made aware that there was someone knocking on my front door, and realizing, with admittedly great disappointment, that I had fallen asleep on my couch. I took a deep breath. "Damn," I said regretfully, as I looked around, trying to get my bearings. Whoever was at the door would have to wait a few moments more so I could clear the area of the evidence that I had fallen into a wine-induced coma just after crying my eyes out when I'd been dropped off at my condo that afternoon. "Just a moment!" I called out, hurriedly combing my fingers through my hair, and straightening the camisole, yoga pants, and a floor length cardigan sweater I had changed into the second I got home. My usual work wear had suddenly felt very constrictive and uncomfortable, and I couldn't wait to peel myself out of it. So I'd changed clothes immediately, deeming these to be my new uniform for the foreseeable future. I had contemplated burning the contents of my closet as well, ridding myself for good of all things that reminded me of those assholes I'd given so many years of my life to. After that, I'd start packing, and soon kiss this place goodbye forever.
I quickly grabbed the empty wine bottle, the used glass, and the wad of tissues from off the coffee table, and ran to the kitchen to deposit it all into the sink and the trash can under the counter. I heard the knocking again. "Coming! I'm coming!" I called out, folding my sweater over my body and rushing to the door. I didn't even look through the peep hole before I opened it, which is why I was completely floored to see who was standing before me.
"Tony!" I gasped. "What on earth are you doing here?"
He was leaning, with one hand propped against my door frame, and gave me a warm, sympathetic smile as soon as our eyes met. "Hey, kiddo. How you holding up?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. God, he looked so good in his dark blue bluejeans, his v-neck plain black t-shirt, and his black leather jacket! And he smelled amazing- all musky, and expensive. Given the dream I'd just had, this decidedly wasn't going to help me at all to clear my head and focus on reality.
"I'm...you know, it's all been..." I stammered awkwardly, averting my eyes. I raised them back up to meet his gaze, and put on a brave face, willing my mind to focus. "I'm doing as well as to be expected, I guess," I said, matter-of-fact.
"Yeah, I heard how it all went down," he said empathetically. Then he smiled at me impishly. "Um...can...I come in? So we can we talk?" he asked.
"Oh!" I said sheepishly, swinging the door open and gesturing for him to enter. "Yes! Of course!" I said, chuckling awkwardly. "I'm sorry! Where are my manners!"
He smiled and nodded a thanks as he walked inside. I closed the door behind him, and gestured toward the living room. "Sit down. Please! Make yourself at home! Can I get you anything?" I asked, trying to be a good hostess.
He waved a hand dismissively and sat down on the sofa. "No, I'm fine, Pep," he assured. "Please," he said, gesturing to the seat next to him, beckoning me to join him.
"Okay," I replied, smiling politely as I made my way to him, still struggling to push the racy images of he and I together out of my head. Truthfully, they were making me feel a little jumpy at the moment, as trying to reconcile the two very different worlds psychologically was proving difficult to do without showing any trace of it on the outside. I could still taste his kiss, and sense the feeling of his lips on my body, his finger tips ghosting over my skin, and the adoring look in his eye that, now, just thinking about it, made my insides liquefy. I bit my lip to steady myself, as I was dangerously on the cusp of losing myself to the moment, and managed to yank my thoughts away from the fantasy to focus on the real Tony, who had shown up unexpectedly on my doorstep, and was now sitting in my living room, eagerly awaiting the chance to talk to me. Employer to ex-employee. Not lover to lover, I thought. So, stop this foolishness right now. He's obviously come here for a reason. The least you can do is give him your full attention and hear him out.
I cleared my throat. "You..you said you wanted to talk?" I asked, breaking the ice.
"Right," he said. He shifted in his seat, and raised his hands in defense. "Now, before you say anything, I want you to know that I think what happened is complete bullshit," he began.
"Tony, I..." I began, but he stopped me.
"No, no, Pep, let me finish," he said. So I closed my mouth, and continued to listen.
"I heard about the mistake you made, and I know you know you made it. You're not the type to dodge taking responsibility if you screw up," he said. "So, I'm sure you quickly apologized the moment you were standing in front of Obie."
I nodded. "That's right. I did," I agreed. "But, Tony, he would't listen! He said that..."
Tony nodded. "Pep, I know. You don't have to explain yourself to me, okay?" he said, stopping me again. "You are damn good at your job. Everybody knows that. And everybody also knows that people make mistakes. And they have to be rectified."
I frowned. "Wait," I said. "Are you trying to tell me that I deserved what I got? I thought you said it was bullshit!" I began, looking at him in confusion.
His eyebrows raised, and he shook his head, waving his hands in front of him in defense. "No! What? No! That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying, the most you should have got was a slap on the wrist. But if it were up to me, probably not even that," he replied.
I relaxed again, and nodded, smiling softly. He smiled back and shrugged. "So those geeks in accounting had to push their pencils for a little longer today. So what? I'm failing to see, in the grand scheme of things, why you delivering a file a few hours late was that big of a deal," he said.
"Obie said that, in a time where efficiency in all departments is key, anything that disturbs that efficiency can't be excused. He called my actions 'reprehensible'," I stated.
"Oh, fuck him!" he barked flippantly. "Pssshhh. Reprehensible, my ass. You're the most efficient person in that place. You could probably even teach him a thing or two about efficiency." He scoffed again and shook his head in disgust.
All of this aside, the reality was I was still newly unemployed, and quickly going to be homeless if I didn't put all of this behind me and move on. So I decided just to get it over with. I extended my hand to him. He took it, but looked at me with a confused frown. "Well, Tony," I said, shaking his hand firmly. "I want you to know it means a lot to me that you thought to come all the way over here just to offer your condolences. Really," I explained. I sighed heavily and stood up, his eyes following me. He slowly stood up off the couch, staying silent as I continued. "And I appreciate everything you've done for me over the years. So, I hope that, in my search for new employment, I can ask you for a recommendation, should the need for one arise..."
"Pepper, wait. Just stop for a second, alright?" he said. He stepped closer to me, and gently laid his hands on my upper arms. He looked deeply into my eyes, and I was rendered speechless.
"Honey, I'm not here to wish you well for the future, and send you on your way," he explained, his voice soft and compassionate. "I'm here," he said. "Because I'm offering you your job back."
My eyes went wide. "You...are?" I said, totally shocked, and unable to keep the corners of my mouth from slowly turning upwards.
He smiled back at me with a wide grin, and nodded affirmatively, his eyes full of that boyish sparkle I had always admired.
"Oh, Tony!" I gasped. "I...I just...I..." I said, spluttering and stammering in awe of how quickly things had turned around, which made him laugh at me, and in turn, made me laugh. I reached for his hand, shaking it profusely in gratitude. "I can't thank you enough! If it weren't wildly inappropriate, I'd hug you right now!" I exclaimed.
He spluttered out a surprised "Ha!", and I noticed his cheeks turn a slight twinge of red. Then he let go of my hand and opened his arms, simultaneously smirking and rolling his eyes playfully. "Alright, fine. I guess just this once, Potts. Come here," he said jokingly, motioning for me to come to him. I couldn't resist. I was so happy that, without even a second thought, I instantly dove into his arms, and he wrapped his arms around me in a tight bear hug, an amused "Oaf!" escaping his lips as he staggered back a little from the unexpected force of my embrace, and then he righted himself again as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He then lifted me off the ground around the waist. I squeaked when he did this, squeezing him in return as tightly as I could, grinning from ear to ear. He turned his head, and murmured teasingly in my ear, "I won't tell if you don't," which made me giggle. I pulled back and looked into his eyes, the both of us still grinning and giggling. But slowly our faces softened, and our laughter quieted, as suddenly I felt what was between us go from an exuberant friendly hug to something...else.
We held each others gaze for a long pause, neither of us moving a muscle, but just sharing the moment, with me still hoisted up off the floor in his arms, not just being held in a hug, but almost like he was being...protective of me, or something. I felt him slowly lower me back down to the floor, but he held his grip around me. And I made no move to get out of it, as my arms were still wrapped around his neck just as tightly.
His eyes began to search mine, which I could only assume was for the same reason that mine were searching his- what was this, exactly, that we'd suddenly, and so accidentally, found ourselves in? It was clearly palpable, to the both of us, but neither of us dared to act on it. So, instead, we slowly released each other from our respective embraces, and swept the moment away, sending it out into the fabric of time.
Tony cleared his throat awkwardly, taking a step back and looking away. I nervously tucked my hair behind my ears, then re-wrapped my long, cardigan sweater across the front of me, and folded my arms. "So, um..." I stammered, desperately trying to ease us back into conversation. "How..how did you convince Obie to let me come back?" I asked.
"Oh! I..uh...I didn't, exactly," he said, looking grateful that I'd made the effort to move us out of the awkwardness. He smiled. "No, I actually just, um,..." he said, clearing his throat again. " 'Made a few adjustments' to your position," he said, making one-fingered air quotes. "And now, basically, you're a new hire. But not for Stark Industries. You're now going to be receiving your paychecks from Stark Enterprises, effective immediately."
I looked at him curiously. "Stark Enterprises? What's that?" I asked.
"It's a subsidiary Pop created back in the day, when he still had personal staff members. You know, butlers and maids, et cetera," he explained.
"Like Jarvis?" I asked, referring not to the AI, but to his family's beloved British butler they'd had all through Tony's childhood. JARVIS, the AI, was, of course, an homage to the real life man that Tony had so admired as a child.
His eyes brightened. "Yeah! Exactly. Like Jarvis," he said fondly, impressed that I'd made the connection. "Anyway, it's been a while since anyone has been employed under that entity, but the tax ID has never been cancelled. So, presto change-o, I moved you from one to the other, and voila! You're now my personal assistant, instead of my executive assistant. Which means I'll be paying you directly, not the company payroll office. Our accounting firm in New York is taking care of it as we speak."
"And Obie can't do anything to change that?" I asked cautiously.
He smiled, and shook his head resolutely. "Nope," he said, folding his hands behind his back, and rocking back and forth on his heels, with a mischievous smirk on his lips. "He can't touch you."
I smiled and shook my head, still shocked. "Wow," I gasped.
"Now, I hope it won't be too big of a transition for you, seeing as how you'll pretty much have the same job you always did," he said, teasing me. "But we will have to get you new business cards, plus a new computer, tablet, phone, as I'm sure they've confiscated all of those things, correct?"
I nodded.
He snapped his fingers. "Oh! And you'll need a new number as well, unfortunately. I know that's always a pain, but it's a necessary evil in this case. And something new to drive. Which, oh darn, you'll just have to drag me, kicking and screaming, to the Audi dealer," he joked, as he rattled off the list of to-do's.
But I only gave him a weak smile. "It all sounds wonderful," I assured him. "But there is one other detail we'll need to talk about," I said, glumly.
He frowned, looking at me. "What am I missing, Pep?" he asked.
I gestured around us. "Obie made it abundantly clear. I can't stay here. Thirty days, and I have to go," I explained.
"Ahhh. Corporate leases. Gotta love 'em," he said, nodding in understanding. He shrugged. "Then, we'll just have to add condo shopping to the list, won't we?" he said, nonchalantly.
Surprised, I looked at him. "Are you serious?" I asked.
He looked at me like I'd just grown a third eye, and shrugged again. "Yeeeahhh, Pep. Why? Is there another option? You need a place to live. It can't be this place, soooo..." he said.
"No, I get it, Tony," I said. "I mean, you'd do all of that...for me?" I said humbly.
He gave me a soft smile. "Of course," he said softly. "Because you're worth it to me, Pep."
My chin began to quiver, and I smiled impishly at him, trying to blink back and fan away oncoming tears. "I think I'm gonna cry!" I said, my voice giving out mid-sentence.
He smiled warmly at me, and raised his hand to gently wipe a tear from my cheek with his thumb that had managed to escape already. "Too late," he murmured, chuckling.
I chuckled back, sniffling and wiping away more tears. "Honestly, I don't know what to say!" I told him, shaking my head in disbelief at his enormous generosity.
"Then say you accept," he urged. "Come on. Come back, Pep. Please? I'm no good without you. You know that."
I know he probably meant professionally, but the tone in his voice, and the pleading look in his eye suggested something beyond that. He seemed vulnerable to me, in that moment. It was rare that Tony took off the mask of his usual bravado and allowed himself to be so exposed. But I treasured the times when he did, because then that meant he was showing me who he truly was, deep down, on the inside- which was a caring, considerate gentleman with class and compassion for the needs of others. This is what made him so hard for me to resist. Even as rare as these moments were, they were enough to sustain me through the difficult times with him, when back on the mask went, and he fell back into that obnoxious, cocky persona everyone always expected from him.
I nodded, grinning. "Well, since you put it that way," I teased. I took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling, noticing him looking at me in suspense. "I accept," I said officially.
He gave a look of mock astonishment, and then threw up his hands with a smirk. "Beautiful," he said.
I laughed, and he smiled at me with one of those "whole face" smiles I'm so fond of, his eyes sparkling once again. Then, he grabbed my hand, and kissed the back of it. I blushed at the gesture, and giggled girlishly. He kept my hand in his hand, and patted it affectionately. "Welcome back, Ms. Potts," he said, grinning.
"Thank you," I said, coyly. "It feels good to be back, Mr. Stark."
He patted my hand once more before he let it go, and started heading for the door. I followed behind him.
"Okay," he said, once we'd reached it. "Glad all of that's settled. You should be getting your severance within the week, they tell me. If Obie gives you any guff with that, though I doubt he will, bring it to me, huh? And be at my place, 9 am sharp. We've got a lot to do tomorrow," he ordered.
"Yes, sir," I said, playfully saluting him.
He smiled at the joke, and turned to open the door. I held it open as he passed through it.
"Tony?" I said, before he could leave.
He turned around to face me.
"I just wanted to say thank you. Again," I said, my cheeks blushing again at how generous he'd been to me. "Really. All of this...it means a lot."
He smiled again, and winked. "My pleasure," he murmured genuinely.
He raised a hand to say goodbye, and I waved bashfully back, slowly closing the door as I heard him make his way down the hall. Then, I leaned with my back against it and sighed, unable to control the grin slowly spreading across my lips.
XxXxXxXxXx
A big black SUV with blacked-out windows slowly rolled through the streets of the gated community where Obadiah Stane had resided for the last twenty years. The porch lights on all of the multi-million dollar houses had come on, as the sun had set not long ago, and their vast expanses had become shrouded in the looming darkness. Obadiah had been quiet from the time the company car service had picked him up at the office until now. He had the window of the back passenger seat cracked, and the lit cigar's embers he held between his fingers burned with an orange glow in the darkness, the contrasting blue smoke rising up and curling out of the window in a long, phantom-like tendril.
His eyes were narrowed, and in between long pulls off the fresh stogie he'd clipped before leaving the office, now burned down to almost a nub, he worked his jaw in deep thought of the day's events. He was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Tony had used an ancient, obsolete, tax shelter to re-instate Pepper. And there isn't a DAMN THING I can do about it, he thought bitterly.
Just then, his phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket to answer it.
"Obie, darling!" the smooth British female voice on the other end said, greeting him. "I hope this evening finds you well?"
"Well, Vanessa," Obie said, pulling his cigar from between his teeth. "I was hoping our next conversation would be on a better note, but unfortunately, my dear, it's not," he said.
"Oh?" she purred. "What's the trouble?"
"As of this morning, Ms. Pepper Potts was informed her position had been terminated," he explained.
"Marvelous!" Vanessa chirped.
"And you know what? She walked right into it. Something as simple as forgetting to turn in a file full of shipping mandates on time gave me all the cause I needed to fire her," he said. "Which is why it's such a shame it didn't work out."
"I don't understand," Vanessa said sternly. "I thought you were the one who could..."
"I am, or at least I am for Stark Industries," Obadiah explained.
"I don't follow," Vanessa replied.
"Howard Stark created a subsidiary decades ago to separate personal employee payroll from corporate employee payroll. Tony saw the loop hole, and took advantage of it. So, Ms. Potts is now gainfully employed exclusively by Stark Enterprises, meaning Tony..."
"Controls her position exclusively. Brilliant," she finished glumly. Obadiah heard her sigh heavily. "Well, darling, it's an inconvenience to have Ms. Potts still in the thick of things, I have to admit. But we'll just have to make due. And I'll just have to be even more calculating than before, now, won't I?"
"That's the spirit, my girl," Obadiah said. "Incidentally, has lover boy come calling, yet?"
"Sadly, no," Vanessa replied.
"Well, take heart," he encouraged. "If there's one thing I know about that guy, it's that he hates being played the fool. Trust me. He won't let this rest. His ego is begging him to call you, just to even the score," he said, taking a long final drag off his cigar before pitching it out the window. It rolled into the gutter, a mar upon the pristine concrete, its embers quickly dying out and fading to gray ash in the darkness.
