Ian returned to Sara's apartment late, letting himself in with the
key. It felt strange to do so, not only to be allowed here but to have his
own key. Not that it was the first time he had let himself in.but this was
different, he now had a right to be here. He lay his bag down, locked the
door behind him and glanced over to see Sara asleep on the couch. He took
off his coat and put his bag away, returning to find her still out. Ian
watched her sleep for a minute, while he removed his jacket, and after a
thought, his vest and tie as well. Turning back his cuffs, he removed the
gloves that so offended her, tucking them away in his coat pocket. He
thought about waking her, but she looked so comfortable.
She was so very special, even though she still did not see it. Her acceptance amazed him even while it pleased him. He had spent most of his life serving his father, dealing with problems. He had killed professionally. It did not really bother him as it was his duty. They were professionals as well, trying to kill him, or more likely, Irons. It was part of the job he had been raised and trained to do, but it was not something he expected that Sara would understand or accept. They had not talked about his work, something they just left out between them. After all, one should never discuss criminal activity with a member of the police force, even if they had been duly bought and paid for, and Sara was not that kind of police officer anyway. That was one of the things that he found so special about her, her job meant so much to her, protect and serve, as he had always done for her and for his father. He shook his head impatiently, his musings getting him nowhere. He knelt down beside her, trying to figure out what to do.
At least her dreams were peaceful, he thought, as he watched her, not the least bit restless as they were usually. Dreams.he never use to have them often, but the last few nights.He put those thoughts away, again. He had barely been able to face her this morning, afraid she would see his desire laid bare on his face. He knew she wanted more between them, he wanted more between them, but he just was not sure how they should precede. It had embarrassed him at first to view Sara as a woman after all those years, but more and more he had found himself thinking of her as a lover, no longer a sibling of sorts. That had never been a valid analogy anyway. As Ian had gotten older, he had become aware that his father viewed her as something else entirely and it had angered, even frightened him. The idea of Irons touching her was abhorrent to him. Jealousy was a very ugly feeling and to be jealous of your own father.
He left it, trying to focus on the practical. He could not leave her to sleep here, but did not want to wake her. Besides, it was just not a good idea to wake a sleeping police officer, and she was so comfortable. He opened his mind up just enough to make her aware of his presence, enough to let her know that he was there. Sara shifted in her sleep and smiled.
Ian was fascinated. Moving forward, he slid his hand along her check, just barely touching her. Unable to stop himself, he kissed her very softly.
"Do you always wait 'til I'm asleep?" she asked, her drowsy voice startling him. He started to back away, but she grabbed his arm.
"I'm sorry, Sara," he said, dropping his head out of habit and to hide his embarrassment.
"Damn it Ian, will you look at me?" She had snapped out of sleep and was working on irritation in a hell of a hurry. "Why do you do that?"
"I did not mean to, I.I could not resist."
"That is not what I meant and you know it."
"I was trained that way. Old habits are hard to break," he admitted to her as he raised his head and looked into her clear, green eyes. It was getting easier every day to relax, but some things were still reflex.
Sara closed her eyes and pushed the irritation away with an effort, although she added it to the mental list of things she wanted to take Kenneth Irons to task for. Unfortunately with him dead, she knew it was a hopeless desire. At least she had gotten some sleep without a return of last night's dreams. "Will you at least stop apologizing for kissing me? It is a part of a normal relationship," she told him pointedly sitting up a little.
"I'm not, actually," he said. "Apologizing for kissing you, that is, only for disturbing your sleep. You were very comfortable." Those big, brown eyes had a funny effect on her breathing and she considered giving him another lesson about kissing, but was not sure how he would react. He was still a highly trained and dangerous man, and his reflexes could make things awkward, regardless of how he felt. And that would definitely qualify as startling. But that did not mean that she couldn't offer. She leaned forward slowly as he watched, offering her lips to him.
The reassuring look in her eyes was too much for him to resist. He moved closer, pressing his lips to hers, just a brush at first, very gently. But when she did not try to move away, he continued his exploration, taking his time to revel in the texture, the taste of her. So different from the kisses they had shared over the last few days, more than the simple brush of lips, but less aggressive than those other explosions of passion that had left him startled, frightened and hungry for more. She leaned closer; putting her hands on his shoulders to support herself, keep her from falling off the couch. Ian accepted her weight easily, moving his hands to accommodate her motion. She parted her lips and he began to explore, taking his cue from her, learning as he went, enjoying the dance. It was so much more than he had ever expected, so easy to express himself, to show her how he felt. He leaned back a little, pulling her more towards him, half on, half off the couch, letting himself get lost in the simple intimacy of kissing, of her leaning against him.
Sara was amazed, he was definitely a fast learner. The simple joy in him was amazing. He was in no hurry, not trying to push things any faster, just enjoying what they were doing. There was no pressure, none of the urgency to get to other things. His enjoyment was contagious and she tried to remember when she last enjoyed kissing someone so much. She leaned in a little more, completely trusting his strong hands to support her as she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair and felt his sigh against her lips. His eyes, closed a little and he pulled her a little closer. Sara had no idea where this was leading, but she was more than willing to follow. She was feeling things that were both familiar and not, the sensation of being this close to him was stirring up all kinds of emotions that she was not in any fit state to examine at the moment. She gave in completely to the feelings, analyzing could come later. From somewhere in the distance, a ringing sound started, like an annoying fly buzzing just out of reach. "Damn," Sara muttered against him as she recognized the phone through the haze.
"Let it ring," Ian growled a little against her lips, not willing to interrupt this moment for anything less than earth shattering. It was startling to hear him like that as he tugged her a little closer. The sound of Danny's voice over the answering machine brought them both back to earth suddenly.
"Hey, Pez, pick up, we got a call."
She was so very special, even though she still did not see it. Her acceptance amazed him even while it pleased him. He had spent most of his life serving his father, dealing with problems. He had killed professionally. It did not really bother him as it was his duty. They were professionals as well, trying to kill him, or more likely, Irons. It was part of the job he had been raised and trained to do, but it was not something he expected that Sara would understand or accept. They had not talked about his work, something they just left out between them. After all, one should never discuss criminal activity with a member of the police force, even if they had been duly bought and paid for, and Sara was not that kind of police officer anyway. That was one of the things that he found so special about her, her job meant so much to her, protect and serve, as he had always done for her and for his father. He shook his head impatiently, his musings getting him nowhere. He knelt down beside her, trying to figure out what to do.
At least her dreams were peaceful, he thought, as he watched her, not the least bit restless as they were usually. Dreams.he never use to have them often, but the last few nights.He put those thoughts away, again. He had barely been able to face her this morning, afraid she would see his desire laid bare on his face. He knew she wanted more between them, he wanted more between them, but he just was not sure how they should precede. It had embarrassed him at first to view Sara as a woman after all those years, but more and more he had found himself thinking of her as a lover, no longer a sibling of sorts. That had never been a valid analogy anyway. As Ian had gotten older, he had become aware that his father viewed her as something else entirely and it had angered, even frightened him. The idea of Irons touching her was abhorrent to him. Jealousy was a very ugly feeling and to be jealous of your own father.
He left it, trying to focus on the practical. He could not leave her to sleep here, but did not want to wake her. Besides, it was just not a good idea to wake a sleeping police officer, and she was so comfortable. He opened his mind up just enough to make her aware of his presence, enough to let her know that he was there. Sara shifted in her sleep and smiled.
Ian was fascinated. Moving forward, he slid his hand along her check, just barely touching her. Unable to stop himself, he kissed her very softly.
"Do you always wait 'til I'm asleep?" she asked, her drowsy voice startling him. He started to back away, but she grabbed his arm.
"I'm sorry, Sara," he said, dropping his head out of habit and to hide his embarrassment.
"Damn it Ian, will you look at me?" She had snapped out of sleep and was working on irritation in a hell of a hurry. "Why do you do that?"
"I did not mean to, I.I could not resist."
"That is not what I meant and you know it."
"I was trained that way. Old habits are hard to break," he admitted to her as he raised his head and looked into her clear, green eyes. It was getting easier every day to relax, but some things were still reflex.
Sara closed her eyes and pushed the irritation away with an effort, although she added it to the mental list of things she wanted to take Kenneth Irons to task for. Unfortunately with him dead, she knew it was a hopeless desire. At least she had gotten some sleep without a return of last night's dreams. "Will you at least stop apologizing for kissing me? It is a part of a normal relationship," she told him pointedly sitting up a little.
"I'm not, actually," he said. "Apologizing for kissing you, that is, only for disturbing your sleep. You were very comfortable." Those big, brown eyes had a funny effect on her breathing and she considered giving him another lesson about kissing, but was not sure how he would react. He was still a highly trained and dangerous man, and his reflexes could make things awkward, regardless of how he felt. And that would definitely qualify as startling. But that did not mean that she couldn't offer. She leaned forward slowly as he watched, offering her lips to him.
The reassuring look in her eyes was too much for him to resist. He moved closer, pressing his lips to hers, just a brush at first, very gently. But when she did not try to move away, he continued his exploration, taking his time to revel in the texture, the taste of her. So different from the kisses they had shared over the last few days, more than the simple brush of lips, but less aggressive than those other explosions of passion that had left him startled, frightened and hungry for more. She leaned closer; putting her hands on his shoulders to support herself, keep her from falling off the couch. Ian accepted her weight easily, moving his hands to accommodate her motion. She parted her lips and he began to explore, taking his cue from her, learning as he went, enjoying the dance. It was so much more than he had ever expected, so easy to express himself, to show her how he felt. He leaned back a little, pulling her more towards him, half on, half off the couch, letting himself get lost in the simple intimacy of kissing, of her leaning against him.
Sara was amazed, he was definitely a fast learner. The simple joy in him was amazing. He was in no hurry, not trying to push things any faster, just enjoying what they were doing. There was no pressure, none of the urgency to get to other things. His enjoyment was contagious and she tried to remember when she last enjoyed kissing someone so much. She leaned in a little more, completely trusting his strong hands to support her as she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair and felt his sigh against her lips. His eyes, closed a little and he pulled her a little closer. Sara had no idea where this was leading, but she was more than willing to follow. She was feeling things that were both familiar and not, the sensation of being this close to him was stirring up all kinds of emotions that she was not in any fit state to examine at the moment. She gave in completely to the feelings, analyzing could come later. From somewhere in the distance, a ringing sound started, like an annoying fly buzzing just out of reach. "Damn," Sara muttered against him as she recognized the phone through the haze.
"Let it ring," Ian growled a little against her lips, not willing to interrupt this moment for anything less than earth shattering. It was startling to hear him like that as he tugged her a little closer. The sound of Danny's voice over the answering machine brought them both back to earth suddenly.
"Hey, Pez, pick up, we got a call."