A tense silence surrounded them. He did nothing to break it, waiting.
"I can't take you, not like this," she whispered.
"Under the circumstances, this is as willing as I'm going to be," he told her coolly. "So what do you say? Care to ravish my virtue again or not?"
She studied him for a moment, her large eyes unreadable as always. Then they narrowed slightly and she abruptly smiled, a warm, happy smile. "I suppose you're right. I can't expect more from you than this."
He nodded.
"So I accept."
He gulped.
She slowly walked towards him-no, stalked was a better word. Every step she took was leisurely, casual; but it was belied by the look on her face. Those green eyes were now dark with primal emotion. The Doctor had the sudden panicky feeling of being hunted by a tigress. A hungry tigress. And he was the main course-the only course, of the feast.
He hadn't expected this. He honestly hadn't thought she would call his bluff. And now that she had, he was going to have to come up with a Plan B. Fast.
"Hold on," he said quickly, when she was but a few feet away. "What about everything you just said? Wanting me of my own free will, not being able to go through with this under those circumstances and all that?"
She shrugged. "You're right. This is as willing as you are going to be. I will honor your request: I will not take anything from your mind again." She gave him another smile. "It is a small price to pay for your acquiescence."
She gracefully dropped onto the bed beside him. "I believe you offered to let me finish removing your clothes?" She purred.
Oh, dear, he thought.
Her fingers were at his pants almost before he knew it. "Wait a minute," he said, pulling her hand away and rising. "You know, it's entirely possible that if we wait a bit longer, I might be even more willing. Wouldn't you like that?" He asked hopefully.
"I think the way you are now will be quite sufficient," she said dismissively. She crooked a finger at him. "Come here."
He shook his head and backed away a few feet.
"I SAID COME HERE!"
He winced at the electrifying anger he heard in her voice. Well. He'd known this could happen, even though he'd reasoned against it. Next time he'd not presume to be able to outguess her. As for right now...
He bolted.
He hadn't quite made it out when she called in a firm but quiet voice: "Stop."
He found himself immobile.
He couldn't turn his head towards her, but he could speak. "All right. You've made your point. I'll stop. Now release me."
She moved to his side, her eyes still angry, and still hungry. "Playing hard to get doesn't suit you, Doctor."
"And bullying me doesn't suit you, so I'd say we're even," he snapped.
"You offered yourself to me. I accepted. Then you tried to run away."
"I changed my mind," he said acidly.
"So it seems. I, however, did not."
"And that's all that matters, is it? My willingness be hanged, you'll get what you want?"
He found that he could move again when he was compelled to walk back to the bed and stretch out on it on his back. "I suppose that answers my question."
She straddled him, her face calm again as she looked at him.
He sighed in resignation. "All right. Get it over with."
She tilted her head, a movement he'd come to recognize as meaning she was confused.
"If you're going to do this, do it. But you'll have to manipulate me with your mind, because right now I am about as aroused as a caterpillar staring at a spider." He held up a finger before she could ask the question. "Which means, not at all."
She smirked.
"It's not funny," he muttered.
"You were correct, Doctor, that I could alter your mind," she said. "Would you like me to demonstrate?"
Before he had a chance to say a word, he felt something explode in his brain.
Lust. So swift and strong it made what his future self had done pale in comparison. At that moment his body wouldn't have given a fig if she was an axe murderess, he would have still wanted her. He moaned, a low mixture of desire and despair. Then as swiftly as it had arrived, the feeling was gone.
"Very impressive," he gasped after he'd caught his breath. "Although I think you could've used a lesser charge."
"What makes you think that I didn't?"
That made him pause for a moment. "So what now?" He asked finally. "Are you just going to rip my clothes off and force feed my emotions to get what you want?"
"What a difference in you," she remarked, sliding her hands down his chest as she spoke. He resisted the impulse to stop her, not wanting to rekindle her ire. Instead he lay quietly and allowed her hands to roam his body. He could handle this, and it might buy him some desperately needed time to work out a way to get her to stop.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"When you first came here tonight you were very prepared. Almost insistent. Then, when I agree, you seem to suddenly change your mind." Her hands came to rest on his shoulders. "Now why is that?"
He shrugged. "I'm a very fickle fellow," he quipped. "Given to a change of hearts at any moment."
"Except I do not think you ever changed your hearts, as you put it."
He became very still. "What do you mean?"
"I do not think you believed I would take you up on it, Doctor. I think you were trying to see what I would do, if I would press you or not." She leaned down, her eyes lit slightly. "I know that is what you were trying to do. And it isn't because I read your thoughts. It's because I'm not stupid."
He drew a deep breath. "No, you're not. And you're right, I was calling your bluff."
"A grave risk. Why do it? Were you so certain you were right?"
He nodded. "I was. That was a mistake on my part."
"Yes," she said softly. "Had I sensed your words as truth, I would have just continued to deny what you were offering. But when I realized you were trying to confuse me, I decided to, how did you just say it, 'call your bluff'?"
He managed a smile. "And you did quite a nice job of it."
She nodded, returning his smile, but her face was sad. She bent over him, and for a second he felt the fleeting brush of her lips on his. Before he could even think about whether or not to protest it was over, and she slid off the bed.
"You may leave me alone now," she told him.
He sat up, rubbing his forehead in confusion. "You don't want to--"
"No. I don't."
"I thought..."
"Then perhaps you shouldn't," she said. "Take your clothes and go."
This was an entirely new play in the game. And he didn't have a program anymore. "Parthenope..."
"Go, Doctor. You have done enough."
He bit back the flippant comment that tried to spill out in response, got up and picked up his clothes. "Can't we at least--"
When he raised his head she was gone.
"-Talk about this?" He finished his question.
His only reply was silence.
"I suppose not," he said. He shook his head. "How long are you going to do this?"
"I can wait an eternity," her voice whispered on the wind.
"That's an awfully long time!"
"You are worth the wait."
Her voice was sincere. He was startled to feel a response to her words. His reply caught in his throat, and by the time he trusted his voice again, she had sent him back out of her safehaven.
"I can't take you, not like this," she whispered.
"Under the circumstances, this is as willing as I'm going to be," he told her coolly. "So what do you say? Care to ravish my virtue again or not?"
She studied him for a moment, her large eyes unreadable as always. Then they narrowed slightly and she abruptly smiled, a warm, happy smile. "I suppose you're right. I can't expect more from you than this."
He nodded.
"So I accept."
He gulped.
She slowly walked towards him-no, stalked was a better word. Every step she took was leisurely, casual; but it was belied by the look on her face. Those green eyes were now dark with primal emotion. The Doctor had the sudden panicky feeling of being hunted by a tigress. A hungry tigress. And he was the main course-the only course, of the feast.
He hadn't expected this. He honestly hadn't thought she would call his bluff. And now that she had, he was going to have to come up with a Plan B. Fast.
"Hold on," he said quickly, when she was but a few feet away. "What about everything you just said? Wanting me of my own free will, not being able to go through with this under those circumstances and all that?"
She shrugged. "You're right. This is as willing as you are going to be. I will honor your request: I will not take anything from your mind again." She gave him another smile. "It is a small price to pay for your acquiescence."
She gracefully dropped onto the bed beside him. "I believe you offered to let me finish removing your clothes?" She purred.
Oh, dear, he thought.
Her fingers were at his pants almost before he knew it. "Wait a minute," he said, pulling her hand away and rising. "You know, it's entirely possible that if we wait a bit longer, I might be even more willing. Wouldn't you like that?" He asked hopefully.
"I think the way you are now will be quite sufficient," she said dismissively. She crooked a finger at him. "Come here."
He shook his head and backed away a few feet.
"I SAID COME HERE!"
He winced at the electrifying anger he heard in her voice. Well. He'd known this could happen, even though he'd reasoned against it. Next time he'd not presume to be able to outguess her. As for right now...
He bolted.
He hadn't quite made it out when she called in a firm but quiet voice: "Stop."
He found himself immobile.
He couldn't turn his head towards her, but he could speak. "All right. You've made your point. I'll stop. Now release me."
She moved to his side, her eyes still angry, and still hungry. "Playing hard to get doesn't suit you, Doctor."
"And bullying me doesn't suit you, so I'd say we're even," he snapped.
"You offered yourself to me. I accepted. Then you tried to run away."
"I changed my mind," he said acidly.
"So it seems. I, however, did not."
"And that's all that matters, is it? My willingness be hanged, you'll get what you want?"
He found that he could move again when he was compelled to walk back to the bed and stretch out on it on his back. "I suppose that answers my question."
She straddled him, her face calm again as she looked at him.
He sighed in resignation. "All right. Get it over with."
She tilted her head, a movement he'd come to recognize as meaning she was confused.
"If you're going to do this, do it. But you'll have to manipulate me with your mind, because right now I am about as aroused as a caterpillar staring at a spider." He held up a finger before she could ask the question. "Which means, not at all."
She smirked.
"It's not funny," he muttered.
"You were correct, Doctor, that I could alter your mind," she said. "Would you like me to demonstrate?"
Before he had a chance to say a word, he felt something explode in his brain.
Lust. So swift and strong it made what his future self had done pale in comparison. At that moment his body wouldn't have given a fig if she was an axe murderess, he would have still wanted her. He moaned, a low mixture of desire and despair. Then as swiftly as it had arrived, the feeling was gone.
"Very impressive," he gasped after he'd caught his breath. "Although I think you could've used a lesser charge."
"What makes you think that I didn't?"
That made him pause for a moment. "So what now?" He asked finally. "Are you just going to rip my clothes off and force feed my emotions to get what you want?"
"What a difference in you," she remarked, sliding her hands down his chest as she spoke. He resisted the impulse to stop her, not wanting to rekindle her ire. Instead he lay quietly and allowed her hands to roam his body. He could handle this, and it might buy him some desperately needed time to work out a way to get her to stop.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"When you first came here tonight you were very prepared. Almost insistent. Then, when I agree, you seem to suddenly change your mind." Her hands came to rest on his shoulders. "Now why is that?"
He shrugged. "I'm a very fickle fellow," he quipped. "Given to a change of hearts at any moment."
"Except I do not think you ever changed your hearts, as you put it."
He became very still. "What do you mean?"
"I do not think you believed I would take you up on it, Doctor. I think you were trying to see what I would do, if I would press you or not." She leaned down, her eyes lit slightly. "I know that is what you were trying to do. And it isn't because I read your thoughts. It's because I'm not stupid."
He drew a deep breath. "No, you're not. And you're right, I was calling your bluff."
"A grave risk. Why do it? Were you so certain you were right?"
He nodded. "I was. That was a mistake on my part."
"Yes," she said softly. "Had I sensed your words as truth, I would have just continued to deny what you were offering. But when I realized you were trying to confuse me, I decided to, how did you just say it, 'call your bluff'?"
He managed a smile. "And you did quite a nice job of it."
She nodded, returning his smile, but her face was sad. She bent over him, and for a second he felt the fleeting brush of her lips on his. Before he could even think about whether or not to protest it was over, and she slid off the bed.
"You may leave me alone now," she told him.
He sat up, rubbing his forehead in confusion. "You don't want to--"
"No. I don't."
"I thought..."
"Then perhaps you shouldn't," she said. "Take your clothes and go."
This was an entirely new play in the game. And he didn't have a program anymore. "Parthenope..."
"Go, Doctor. You have done enough."
He bit back the flippant comment that tried to spill out in response, got up and picked up his clothes. "Can't we at least--"
When he raised his head she was gone.
"-Talk about this?" He finished his question.
His only reply was silence.
"I suppose not," he said. He shook his head. "How long are you going to do this?"
"I can wait an eternity," her voice whispered on the wind.
"That's an awfully long time!"
"You are worth the wait."
Her voice was sincere. He was startled to feel a response to her words. His reply caught in his throat, and by the time he trusted his voice again, she had sent him back out of her safehaven.