Chapter 7 -
Thinking about it was agony. His words regarding her good nature last night made her begin to question where her loyalties lied.
On one hand, her interaction with Sark before their current mission was most times terrifying. Not only for her, since Sydney had the strong backbone, also for one of her best friends. The reaction from Will when she told him Sark had joined SD-6 was heartbreaking. She fully expected him to remember his ordeal at the hands of Mr. Sark for many years to come.
Then there was the other hand, the more complex of the two.
This morning as she was getting dressed, she realized the excitement felt around the idea of a day on the water with Sark, no less. His essence was that of an enigma, so many riddles and questions none with a simple answer. But as she was sitting in the passenger seat of the rented Jaguar XK8 he's driving, she attempted to decipher what she could.
A fan of power, with a tendency to taunt in order to test one's reaction, she could only assume.
Lover of fine wines and flashy cars, his rumored choice of Merlot and in L.A, a black convertible Mercedes attested to that.
Lacking emotion in combat, she had seen him fatally shoot another point blank, without a blink or flinch.
Most women would have some sort of reaction to his resume, but her experience had desensitized her to a point. Out of the corner of her eye, she took another glance as he comfortably rode in the body conforming bucket seat.
Just as she had the color red, he wore the color blue flawlessly. The snug short sleeved t-shirt and lightweight denim jeans brightened his blonde hair, while icing his blue eyes quite nicely. His demeanor, alas, had resembled his eyes since their first encounter this morning.
Whoever trained this man, did a damn good job, his coldness and curt statements were that of a by the book agent.
Back to the decoding, with over six songs played on his burnt CD, Sark was a disciple of classic rock. Most of the songs she remembered from her youth, played at late night parties her parents would throw. Without their knowledge, she would sit just outside her bedroom door, monitoring the festivities from afar.
She smiled as the first few notes of Metallica's 'One' are played, "Big Metallica fan?" Sydney asked. Realizing she had snapped him out of deep thought, she almost wished that she had kept quiet.
"I remember hearing this song when I was younger and was amazed with how Lars played," Sark disclosed.
Sydney relaxed a bit after the small insight. "I agree. For some reason, I pictured you more of a guitarist, not a drummer."
Sark playfully smiled, given the wide-open opportunity. "You're saying that you've pictured me then, Sydney?" They look at each other smiling, except Sydney's was in slight embarrassment. Unable to respond without the conversation turning flirtatious, something she wasn't fully ready for, she faced back ahead as they neared the marina.
It was a mild day on the water. The sixty-four foot Sunseeker Manhattan they cruised on moved leisurely in the water, giving The Espinoza's the opportunity to show their new friends, The Binoche's some sights, including their waterfront home. Putting almost all the others to shame, their grand abode sat on numerous acres of land, only a few hundred feet from their own light, sandy beach.
Only one oddity stuck out, the awkwardness Sydney had to conceal while sunbathing on the bow of the yacht.
The black string bikini in which she was clad wasn't the problem, for she was fairly comfortable with her body. Uncertain what his intentions were still, she was surprised to watch Sark come to the area the ladies were positioned.
"Dear, you forgot your sunscreen," she remembered him saying as he presented the new bottle. Expecting him to just hand it to her, her nerves were activated as he clicked the lid, and proceeded to spread a substantial amount of lotion on her.
At the first touch of his hands on her bare back, Sydney felt a titillating sensation zip through her. It headed through every fraction of her, above all the sensitive tip of her breasts. Expertly, he moved the warm cream up to her shoulders then back to the curve of her lower back, until it disappeared. He even had a three-minute conversation with Consuela to which Sydney couldn't give the topic of, let alone recite one word. She found her feelings torn once it was complete, mostly she was panicked that a part of her didn't want him to stop.
But that was over five hours ago, since it was practically sundown now. The sky bursting with all shades of blues, pinks and yellows that were near dispersed, Sydney viewed the display from just outside the cabin of the vessel. Having finished a catered dinner less than fifteen minutes back, all parties were still content on the docked boat.
Wanting a closer look at the peaceful water, Sydney headed to the stern of the boat and the nearest cushioned seat. Immersed in thoughts of nothing in particular, she became startled by a voice that came from her backside.
"It's magnificent, isn't it," Sark saw the beauty through her eyes. She couldn't help but sigh, having the opportunity to enjoy the moment simultaneously.
Just behind him, The Espinoza's took the seat on the other side of the boat. "This time of night has got to be my favorite," Consuela cooed, as Marcus slid his arm around her.
Following their lead, Sark took a seat on the same cushion, behind Sydney. In a possessive manner, he wrapped his arm around her, just below her neck and pulled her to recline to rest on his chest.
In a moment of weakness, Sydney found her emotions running rabid and was almost on the verge of tears. Sark's arms made her feel so secure, almost loved, like nothing could ever harm her again as long as he was around. What scared her enough to fight back those tears, was the fact this man could be the person to literally destroy her. Her dire revelation caused her to shiver slightly.
"Are you cold?" Sark asked, feeling the slight shake.
Afraid to speak, Sydney shook her head no. Even with her negative answer, Sark still ran both of his hands up her arms, creating warmth.
After a few moments of the couples sitting in silence, Marcus broke the air. "Since you two are due to leave in two days, we were hoping you would come to our Christmas party tomorrow night. It's going to be relatively intimate, just a few close friends."
A bittersweet gesture, since the invite to their personal quarters was the next to last step of their orders, Sydney snapped herself back to reality. "We'd love to come." Any signs of sadness were absent from her voice.
"Perfect," Consuela chimed in. "Dinner is at seven and is black tie. We can send a car for you if you'd like."
Knowing that might not be the best idea, Sark responded to the offer. "Actually I'll probably take the rental back tomorrow night afterwards so we don't have to deal with it while departing."
"Sure," Marcus answered.
Left to sit in silence again, Sydney was overwhelmed with the situation. Perfectly executed, they received access to The Espinoza's residence, and one of Espinoz's main computers exactly as planned. If only everything else had gone accordingly.
Sydney was aware those were her words that told Sloane to remind Sark this relationship was a complete front, only in place to complete the op. She gave the pushback on starting this mission, and now she was the one that didn't want it to end. Internally forlorn, Sydney watched the moonlight as it bounced off the rippled water, a weak attempt to distract her.