Chapter 14
At first he's shocked, but he responds immediately. The sensation is electrifying; it's amazing. I don't think my legs can hold me up any longer and expect my knees to give any second now. So what do I do? Hang on harder, pulling him closer, closer than ever before. Our lips pressed tightly against each other, taking advantage of the situation, seizing this chance before it slips through our fingers, especially since another chance like this might not come a long for a long time, maybe never. I try to convince myself that its just part of the cover, but part of me believes it's more than that. The way he holds me gently, stroking my hair and running his hand up and down my bare back.
Its not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
Its just the nearness of you
The guard's yells go unnoticed. The Hawaiian shirt he wears is unbuttoned, revealing his chest, which has been quite a distraction since the time I first saw him in it. My fingers dig into his hair and he pulls me tighter, pressing my stomach against his chest, our skin making contact. My arms leave his neck and wrap themselves around his stomach underneath his shirt. They rub his back as his hands trace up my arms and massage my shoulders. His mouth travels to my right shoulder and he slides his hand under the strap of the bathing suit, pushing it off to the side and giving him more access. I pull him away from my shoulder and capture his lips with mine again quickly.
A small part of me is telling me we need to stop, that we can't be doing this. The larger part of me is telling me to go for it, to keep going and never let him go. Things are getting out of hand, and I know that soon I'll lose control of myself. All my senses are on a maximum high as I take Vaughn in slowly and I'm suddenly aware of the guard approaching us. As soon as he's close enough I tear myself away from Vaughn and deliver a kick to his side, knocking him over and rendering him unconscious. Breathing heavily I run to the safe as Vaughn checks the guard for weapons.
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
Its just the nearness of you
"He's unarmed" I turn and look at him quickly. The guard seems to be smaller than most guards, almost weaker, and I think I could have taken him out without making an effort. Vaughn and I make eye contact but quickly break it. I pull the lab top out of the safe and flip it open. I search for the files on Ornalais and when I find them I pop in the disk and start downloading the files. I turn around and Vaughn is coming out of the bathroom. "He's secure," He says, walking towards the dresser and pulling open a cabinet as the files finish downloading. He removes a shirt from the cabinet and slams it shut again. He takes off his shirt and pulls the new one over his head. I pull the disk out of the computer as he tosses me his shirt. "Here, put that on. I'll get the car while you finish up. Meet you out front"
"Okay" He leaves the room and I snap the computer shut and shove it back into the safe. I swing the frame back into place and lock it by opening and closing the lower cabinet. Grabbing the disk, I pull on Vaughn's shirt. I notice it smells really nice and smile to myself as I exit the room rapidly. I run down the hall quietly and take the stairs downstairs. I take a deep breath before I open the door and walk into the lobby. I try not to attract too much attention but I can't help but feel as if everyone's eyes are on me. The fact that several men shoot sly grins and winks at me doesn't help.
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true
I almost run out the door as I see the black, typical CIA car waiting for me off to the side. I pull open the door and get in quickly. As Vaughn drives off I tear the plastic band that says I'm a guest at the hotel off from around my wrist. I look at him out of the corner off my eye and he's staring straight out at the road, but seems to have a lot on his mind.
"Did you get the files?" He asks, never looking away from the road.
"Yeah... I got them" We fall into an uncomfortable silence and I think about turning on the radio, but decide against it. I can't believe what happened between Vaughn and I. It was like being in heaven, and hell, at the same time. The heaven of being in Vaughn's arms and tasting him; feeling his skin against mine. The hell of not knowing whether it's all an act when it feels so real. I couldn't be more embarrassed if it was just an act. I mean, I did get really into it. But if it wasn't fake, then what does that mean for us. Am I just supposed to ignore it, just pretend it never happened?
"So... that went well" His voice seems a little shaky but he's brave enough to look over at me and smile. A wave of relief washes over me as I see that wonderful smile and I can't help but smile myself.
"Yeah, it did" I laugh lightly and when he looks over at me I giggle quietly.
"Vaughn," I reach out and rub my thumb against the corner of his mouth "You have some lipstick on you" He smiles and raises an eyebrow at me jokingly.
"Really? I wonder where that came from" We fall into a more peaceful silence this time and I avert my attention to the scenes outside the window. Australia really is a beautiful place. A couple of minutes later we pull into a parking garage and Vaughn turns off the engine.
"Is this it?"
"Yeah, this is where we'll be staying tonight" He gets out of the car, comes over to my side and opens the door for me to get out.
"Thank you monsieur" I get out of the car and we walk in silence to the elevator. When we step out we're in the lobby of another hotel. It's nowhere near as fancy as the other one, but it's quite nice too. I certainly can't say the CIA stuck us in some dump. He leads me to the main desk and a uniformed man comes up to us.
"Hello and welcome to our hotel"
"Thank you, reservations for Mr. And Mrs. Johnny O'Niel," I notice the change of alias and think that it was a good move. I smile at the guy who comes and takes the bags we brought up with us form the car.
"You are in Room 7, on the 4th floor. Please follow Ben up to your room" He gestures towards the man carrying our bags. We follow Ben into the elevator and Vaughn places his arm around my waist as if it were the most natural action ever. And to tell the truth, it feels natural; it really feels right. We leave the elevator and walk halfway down the carpeted hall, stopping in front of a white door labeled '7'. Ben opens the door and leads us into the room. It's very nice, the walls are a light blue and there are wooden floors. There's a balcony in the bedroom and while Vaughn tips Ben I explore. The bathroom is made of white tile and has a shower and a large tub and in the sleeping area there is a king-sized bed and an armchair near the TV.
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
Vaughn comes over to me and I smile inwardly, thinking we'll have to share the bed because there's not enough room for either of us to sleep anywhere else. I open my suitcase and pull out some of my things.
"Vaughn, I'm going to go take a shower and change, okay?" He nods and I step into the bathroom. I feel like a nervous teenager as I lean against the closed door giggling.
Lyrics - The Nearness of You by Norah Jones
At first he's shocked, but he responds immediately. The sensation is electrifying; it's amazing. I don't think my legs can hold me up any longer and expect my knees to give any second now. So what do I do? Hang on harder, pulling him closer, closer than ever before. Our lips pressed tightly against each other, taking advantage of the situation, seizing this chance before it slips through our fingers, especially since another chance like this might not come a long for a long time, maybe never. I try to convince myself that its just part of the cover, but part of me believes it's more than that. The way he holds me gently, stroking my hair and running his hand up and down my bare back.
Its not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
Its just the nearness of you
The guard's yells go unnoticed. The Hawaiian shirt he wears is unbuttoned, revealing his chest, which has been quite a distraction since the time I first saw him in it. My fingers dig into his hair and he pulls me tighter, pressing my stomach against his chest, our skin making contact. My arms leave his neck and wrap themselves around his stomach underneath his shirt. They rub his back as his hands trace up my arms and massage my shoulders. His mouth travels to my right shoulder and he slides his hand under the strap of the bathing suit, pushing it off to the side and giving him more access. I pull him away from my shoulder and capture his lips with mine again quickly.
A small part of me is telling me we need to stop, that we can't be doing this. The larger part of me is telling me to go for it, to keep going and never let him go. Things are getting out of hand, and I know that soon I'll lose control of myself. All my senses are on a maximum high as I take Vaughn in slowly and I'm suddenly aware of the guard approaching us. As soon as he's close enough I tear myself away from Vaughn and deliver a kick to his side, knocking him over and rendering him unconscious. Breathing heavily I run to the safe as Vaughn checks the guard for weapons.
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
Its just the nearness of you
"He's unarmed" I turn and look at him quickly. The guard seems to be smaller than most guards, almost weaker, and I think I could have taken him out without making an effort. Vaughn and I make eye contact but quickly break it. I pull the lab top out of the safe and flip it open. I search for the files on Ornalais and when I find them I pop in the disk and start downloading the files. I turn around and Vaughn is coming out of the bathroom. "He's secure," He says, walking towards the dresser and pulling open a cabinet as the files finish downloading. He removes a shirt from the cabinet and slams it shut again. He takes off his shirt and pulls the new one over his head. I pull the disk out of the computer as he tosses me his shirt. "Here, put that on. I'll get the car while you finish up. Meet you out front"
"Okay" He leaves the room and I snap the computer shut and shove it back into the safe. I swing the frame back into place and lock it by opening and closing the lower cabinet. Grabbing the disk, I pull on Vaughn's shirt. I notice it smells really nice and smile to myself as I exit the room rapidly. I run down the hall quietly and take the stairs downstairs. I take a deep breath before I open the door and walk into the lobby. I try not to attract too much attention but I can't help but feel as if everyone's eyes are on me. The fact that several men shoot sly grins and winks at me doesn't help.
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true
I almost run out the door as I see the black, typical CIA car waiting for me off to the side. I pull open the door and get in quickly. As Vaughn drives off I tear the plastic band that says I'm a guest at the hotel off from around my wrist. I look at him out of the corner off my eye and he's staring straight out at the road, but seems to have a lot on his mind.
"Did you get the files?" He asks, never looking away from the road.
"Yeah... I got them" We fall into an uncomfortable silence and I think about turning on the radio, but decide against it. I can't believe what happened between Vaughn and I. It was like being in heaven, and hell, at the same time. The heaven of being in Vaughn's arms and tasting him; feeling his skin against mine. The hell of not knowing whether it's all an act when it feels so real. I couldn't be more embarrassed if it was just an act. I mean, I did get really into it. But if it wasn't fake, then what does that mean for us. Am I just supposed to ignore it, just pretend it never happened?
"So... that went well" His voice seems a little shaky but he's brave enough to look over at me and smile. A wave of relief washes over me as I see that wonderful smile and I can't help but smile myself.
"Yeah, it did" I laugh lightly and when he looks over at me I giggle quietly.
"Vaughn," I reach out and rub my thumb against the corner of his mouth "You have some lipstick on you" He smiles and raises an eyebrow at me jokingly.
"Really? I wonder where that came from" We fall into a more peaceful silence this time and I avert my attention to the scenes outside the window. Australia really is a beautiful place. A couple of minutes later we pull into a parking garage and Vaughn turns off the engine.
"Is this it?"
"Yeah, this is where we'll be staying tonight" He gets out of the car, comes over to my side and opens the door for me to get out.
"Thank you monsieur" I get out of the car and we walk in silence to the elevator. When we step out we're in the lobby of another hotel. It's nowhere near as fancy as the other one, but it's quite nice too. I certainly can't say the CIA stuck us in some dump. He leads me to the main desk and a uniformed man comes up to us.
"Hello and welcome to our hotel"
"Thank you, reservations for Mr. And Mrs. Johnny O'Niel," I notice the change of alias and think that it was a good move. I smile at the guy who comes and takes the bags we brought up with us form the car.
"You are in Room 7, on the 4th floor. Please follow Ben up to your room" He gestures towards the man carrying our bags. We follow Ben into the elevator and Vaughn places his arm around my waist as if it were the most natural action ever. And to tell the truth, it feels natural; it really feels right. We leave the elevator and walk halfway down the carpeted hall, stopping in front of a white door labeled '7'. Ben opens the door and leads us into the room. It's very nice, the walls are a light blue and there are wooden floors. There's a balcony in the bedroom and while Vaughn tips Ben I explore. The bathroom is made of white tile and has a shower and a large tub and in the sleeping area there is a king-sized bed and an armchair near the TV.
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
Vaughn comes over to me and I smile inwardly, thinking we'll have to share the bed because there's not enough room for either of us to sleep anywhere else. I open my suitcase and pull out some of my things.
"Vaughn, I'm going to go take a shower and change, okay?" He nods and I step into the bathroom. I feel like a nervous teenager as I lean against the closed door giggling.
Lyrics - The Nearness of You by Norah Jones