Chapter 7

A/N: Hoo HAW! On to the next chapter already! Keep reviewing please, it pleases me oh so much!!

Ps: my surgery went great! Thanks for all the well wishes!

Alex made a funny face in the mirror as she straightened her pink halter top. For some reason this assignment was getting to her. It never bothered her when she dressed like this when she was with Jake. Or anyone else for that matter. So what if she was wearing a shirt that covered just as much as a bikini Top (Perhaps that was because it was a bikini top!) And that the pink ties to her bikini bottoms she was wearing peaked over the top of her extremely low leather pants.

Hmm perhaps it's the fact that FRANK is going with you instead! Her conscience rudely butted into her naïve self-delusional frame of thought.

Or that Monica had been hinting towards Donovan and his apparent; what had she called it again? Oh yah "hotness". Monica had found this entire situation completely hilarious. She had specifically built their characters to play upon their already existing sexual tension between them. Monica insisted that she was just making characters that were most believable. She told Monica as she had put on her make-up that she knew what she was trying to do but that it wasn't going to work. Because she didn't feel that way about Frank.

Alex rolled her eyes, "right" she said out loud just so she could hear her own voice "I just think of him an extremely appealing boss, but NO, I don't harbour sexual feelings for him" she groaned and slapped her hand over her eyes damn you conscience! "God I am pathetic".

"yah but you pull pathetic off so nicely"

Alex spun around at the sound of the all too familiar accented voice. As she faced Frank she felt her face go as pink as her bathing suit. How long had he been standing there? Alex frowned. "What are you stalking me now?!". Oops she hadn't meant to say it quite like that. Alex bit her tongue at the look of hurt that spread over Franks face. But as quickly as it had arrive it was gone. She could see him clench his jaw from across the room.

"Are you ready?" his voice was hard again, the flirtatiousness gone. The tone made Alex wince.

Alex pushed her now black hair behind her ear. "Uh yah, of course". in her mind she berated herself.

'No! I shouldn't feel bad! He hurt me! Not visa versa!'.

but these thoughts quickly left her head when she actually looked at him.

His tall, muscular body was leaning against the inside of the door frame. His hair was now partially blond and more spiky than usual. His massive chest was showing through the white shirt that was open from just below the solar-plex and up. His jeans hung nicely off of his lean hips. The battered dirty style of the jeans and the white shirt complemented his dark skin. His handsome chiselled features made her breath get caught in her throat. She quickly averted her eyes and self consciously ran her hand over her bare midriff and played with the fake pink rhinestone belly button ring.

An uneasy silence filled the room. Both of its occupants were fidgety, trying to find something to say. Frank finally broke the silence.

"We should go" his voice was soft.

Alex looked up and gave him a small smile "Yah"

Donovan held out his hand as she walked towards him, ushering her out the door. Donovan leaned back against the frame of the door trying to give her more room to walk through. As she walked out the door brushed up against Donovan's chest. The contact maybe her shiver. She stopped directly in front of him, un able to move another step.

'Ok Alex calm down, just take a deep breath'.

as soon as she took the deep breath she regretted it. Her sense were bombarded by Franks scent. A rich aftershave and the warm smell of baked bread.

'He must have stopped at a bakery'

she thought absentmindedly. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip. "Uh Frank?" she could feel his warm breath graze across her ear.

"Yes" his voice was thick and low. Alex slowly looked into his eyes which mirrored what she was sure was in her own.

Lust

As she looked into his dark eyes she could feel reason slipping away.

No Alex you can't do this! You hate him remember?! He hurt you, Used you….

Alex sucked in a sharp breath and all of her thoughts flew out of her head as Frank slowly drew his finger tips lightly down from her temple to her jaw line and down her neck.

Oh god no I don't hate him. I love him! I love everything about him! The way he smells, the way he looks, the way he smiles. That sexy smirk of his. His strange humour he has when ever Cody pokes fun at him.

Alex slowly parted her lips and leaned into Donovan's chest, tilting her face up. She could feel his soft breath on her face. Just as she could feel Donovan's lips brush against hers Donovan pulled away. She slowly opened her eyes. Donovan was leaning against the door frame heavily with his eyes closed.

"I can't do this Alex" his voice was full of regret and sadness. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I am so sorry Alex, but I can't do this to you" He shook his head slowly. his voice was slowly breaking and the sound nearly ripped out Alex's heart "Not again' I hurt you once but not again" He cleared his throat after a moment of silence and rubbed his eyes "We should go, Cody and Monica are waiting for us and we need to get to the Club." he started to side step away, his eyes still locked with Alex's now watering ones. At the sight of her tears Frank broke eye contact and let out a loud breath and turned around.

Alex swallowed hard and blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. "No, Frank wait!" She grabbed his hand and made him face her again. "You can't just leave and decide what I do or don't want!" she shook her head "It doesn't work that way Frank Donovan, you got caught up in the net called Me and you cant just cut the lines when the water gets rough!"

Frank gave her a weak smile "Alex the waters are more than rough, back in the meeting room? It was more like a hurricane!"

Alex now had both of his hands and was running her thumbs over his knuckles. "Yah but that was different!' we were, I mean I was mad and.." She spoke frantically trying to make him stay.

Frank shook his head ruefully with a sad smile on his lips. "We can't Alex, cause if something happens then it will be just like before at the briefing' or even worse it can be used against us" he shook his head again "No Alex I am not going to put you in danger just because I lo-" he stopped and took a deep breath "just because of how I feel about you" He looked down at their hands clasped together. He pulled his hands from hers and cupped her face with them. He wiped the tears that were now slowly gliding down her cheeks and gave her another sad smile that only made her cry harder. He lowered his head and placed a soft lingering kiss on her forehead.

Alex positioned both of her hands on the centre of his chest and took in the feeling of Franks breath on her face and his lips on her forehead. The steady beat of his heart she could faintly feel on her palms. And the wonderfully close scent and warmth that radiated off of him. She carefully put it away in her mind and in her heart because she was sure she would never feel it again.

Frank slowly backed away. She got a quick glimpse of his watery eyes before he hastily wiped them. He then turned around and walked away. As he got farther and farther away with each of his long legged strides Alex was certain she could feel a piece of her heart being torn out of her chest.

Alex walked over to the a table and swiped a piece of tissue from its surface. She wiped underneath her eyes hoping that her make up had stayed in place.

She suddenly stopped at the absurdity of that thought. The man I love more than anyone I have ever loved has just left me and I am worried about what will happen if my make up isn't in place?! Why is it that I fall in love with the most impossible men?! Maybe I should become a nun or something. That would show 'em.

Alex let out a small bark of a laugh and as she looked into the mirror and saw that she had salvage as much of the makeup job as she could. Alex threw the tissue out and walked towards the van

Alex stopped before she opened the doors that led to outside, took a deep breath and hoped that any signs that she had been crying would be hidden by the darkness of the night. She took another deep breath and tried to forget what she had gone through just minutes earlier and walked out into the dark of the parking lot. Across the expanse of the concrete she could hear Cody and Monica talking about what sounded like George Clooney and she quickly put on her "work face".

Hoping it hid her pain.

~~~Ok people its not over yet! Please review on this chapter!! I really want to know what you think.. I just thought this chapter was maybe a little…er hokey. So please tell me what you think!!! Ooo and if you have any ideas for the next chapter let me know!!!