Chapter Six
Purely Professional
an: guess what...I don't care if there isn't any hotels in Venice that have five stories or not...so just pretend there is if there isn't and if there is well then that's the hotel that they are staying at. Simple as that. Besides this is a fictional world so I can put fictional five story hotels in my fictional Venice...this little note is to prevent reviews that say...there's no such place...yada yada yada...To them I say...guess what..none of this is real...hehehe sorry someone was hassling me over something stupid like that so as a result we get this authors note.
"Shit." Sydney swore. I couldn't help but smile however. Could tonight be any more of a disaster? Well I'm sure it could but I really didn't want to go into that.
"Get out of here." Sydney ordered letting the blanket drop as she placed her hands on my shoulders and pushed.
"Where exactly would you like me to go? I mean, I'm not all that fond of the four story drop and the other exit seems to be occupied." I smirked. Sydney paused, weighing our options. I really should have been more concerned. But I just couldn't seem to take the moment seriously. "Maybe it's room service." I offered jokingly. She looked about ready to kill me. So I decided to wipe the smirk off my face.
"Sydney? Are you alright?"
"Maybe it's room service." Sydney mocked. Trust Dixon to ruin a perfect moment. Well actually I think we ruined it ourselves before Dixon showed up but who's counting right. "Get in the bathroom." Sydney shoved again.
"Coming." she called to the door not watching where so was shoving me. Consequently, when we hit the wall she ended up in my arms again.
Don't look at her. Don't look at her. Don't look at her. Vaughn you're a real idiot.
I looked at her. She looked at me.
Its just Sydney. Its just Sydney. Oh God it's Sydney.
"Are you ok?" I choked out as our eyes locked. My idiotic hand somehow managed to brush a stray strand of hair from her face.
"Fine." her voice had taken on that breathless quality that I find more then slightly arousing. "You?" Her hands still rested on my shoulders. Mine however had migrated to her waist.
"I'm good." I'd be a lot better if I were kissing the answering smile off her face. But I was more then good with this too. And here I thought we'd gotten rid of this underlying tension thing. Silly me.
My eyes flicked to her lips; damn they were perfect and so incredibly inviting. I looked up in time to see her eyes flick back up to mine. Had she...no... Not possible. Our relationship is purely professional.
"Syd, I'm coming in." Dixon called again. Now this time it was Dixon interrupting our moment. If that was what it was.
"Wait. I'm dressing." she called over her shoulder. I rewarded her with a raised eyebrow. "Oh shut up." She whispered with a smile and pulled a strap down to her elbow as she pulled away from me. "Stop staring and get in that bathroom." Had I been staring.... god Vaughn it's just her shoulder. I'm such a pig and that would explain my next action.
Reaching out I pulled her back to me with my cut hand. I'd forgotten about that. It sure was stinging now though.
"Yes?" she asked with a coy smile.
"We could always pretend that we're lovers."
Oh God Vaughn. I did not need him offering things like that. I did not need him standing so close that I could feel his heat, breath his air. Dixon was at the door.
Just smile and step back from temptation. You can't pretend that Sydney. You know that it wouldn't be pretend on your part. You know it would break your heart when he left. Step back.
"Get in the bathroom." I smiled. He looked relieved and he quickly retreated to the bathroom. I ran to the door kicking off my shoes, it wouldn't look very convincing if I was still wearing them and Dixon would be sure to notice. Speaking of which, I removed my jewelry as well and let my hair fall back down to my shoulders. Anything else? Oh yeah, gloves.
Pull it together Syd. Pulling open the door, I pulled my strap back up, making sure that Dixon noted it.
"Syd! You ok?" Dixon exclaimed. Ok what was he so worked up about?
"Fine. Why?" It was fair to say I was confused. More then slightly so.
"You're bleeding." Dixon pointed to my bare waist. Damn I was. I hadn't even noticed.
"Let me look at that." Dixon offered. Shit I wasn't, it must have been from Vaughn. Clamping my hand over it I shook my head violently.
"It's nothing Dixon I'm fine...Now what did you need?" He looked at me curiously and I tried to dismiss it.
"Just wanted to make sure you're ok and to tell you I'd be by tomorrow at six so we could plan our second attempt." And you couldn't just call. Well it wasn't his fault Vaughn thought tonight of all nights was a perfectly fine night for breaking protocol.
"Thanks Dixon. I'm fine really. Why don't you go get some sleep, call you're wife?" I suggested giving him a quick hug. I then ushered him to the door.
"Get that taken care of." Dixon offered as I started to close the door. With a nod he turned and left and I closed the door.
Vaughn appeared three seconds later with a washcloth in hand.
"Are you ok? Where are you bleeding?" His eyes running over me as he talked. Locating my "wound" he kneeled in front of me and started to wipe the blood away. I let him. If he was so determined to take care of me I wasn't going to object. "Syd there's no cut." he finally realized.
"Yeah I noticed that too. It's your blood not mine. Now let me see that hand."
"I must have ripped it open again." Vaughn nodded it off and rose to his feet looking very embarrassed. He started to walk away but I grabbed his wrist and turned him toward me. Grabbing the washcloth from his other hand, I avoided looking up at him though I could feel his surprised stare burn through me.
Ignoring his gaze, I walked us over to the bed where we sat down.
"Ouch. Damn it Syd. Be careful." he cried out as I dabbed at his hand.
"Baby." I chuckled.
"If you wanted to call me baby you just had to say something."
"Ha ha. This is a pretty nasty cut Vaughn."
He only growled in response. I could tell he was focusing on the top of my head and that familiar longing was seeping back into the room. I thought we'd fixed that problem and that after five years, after that incident, that we'd never have to worry about this again.
I needed him out of my room and soon.
"You should get that taken care of. I'm really kinda tired. I'll meet with you tomorrow at five." I blurted abruptly hopping up from my spot on the bed and walking toward the window. Making sure to keep my back to him. I could still feel his eyes burning through me.
Get out Vaughn. Get out now before something happens.
"Yeah. I should be going anyway. I'm up one floor if you need anything. Room 526." I nodded and then he left.
Finally I felt as though I could breath.
I paused outside her door, leaning against it; I closed my eyes and tried to block out her face.
We couldn't do this. We couldn't start up with those feelings again. It was going to kill us.
I never should have come to Venice.