Lucinda placed a key card upon the table, the whiteness of it blending perfectly against the white linen table cloth. She said nothing, merely giving him the hottest of looks. Bond picked up the card and twirled it in his fingers before standing and offering her his hand. She accepted it graciously and they headed for her room.
Inside her kisses were warm and welcoming, her fingers gliding over his muscled and toned body, and Bond felt the familiar detachment within him rise. This was just another woman who was offering herself and her body to him. But he didn't refuse. He never did, and occasionally he felt something for them. Even entering into relationships with them but they never lasted. And soon he could barely remember them, and there was always another woman to take their place. Lucinda was tugging eagerly at him, and he had to admit that she was passionate. His hands slipped under her fine blonde hair to caress the back of her neck and pull her closer to him as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She pressed back against him, and soon she was tugging at his jacket, and encouraging him in his touches.
She was good, writhing beneath him as he thrust into her, meeting him, arching her back, gently clawing at his skin. Afterwards he held her, stroking her soft side, automatically going through the familiar gestures, kissing the back of her neck, whispering softly in her ear.
'You can't stay,' she said almost harshly. He nodded, he hadn't expected or planned to. Slipping from the bed she headed to the other room, carrying her clothes. Quickly Bond leapt from the warmth of the rumpled bed sheets and dressed in a smooth practised manner. He knew what he had to do. The papers were carefully hidden under the lining of a drawer, showing the floor plans of a scientific complex, laboratories, research areas, all neatly laid out in the rolled up blue prints. The tiny camera he carried did its work, and they were recorded. Working silently he replaced them, and turned.
Lucinda walked into the room, and he was hardly surprised to see her carrying a gun.
'Lucinda,' he reprimanded her gently, 'You don't have to threaten me to get me to leave.'
She threw him a scornful look. 'Enough, Mr. Bond.'
*
Ashleigh stood, and walked around the table to him, taking his hand and pulling him to his feet, their lips meeting in a surprisingly tender kiss. It deepened as his hands crept under her top to find the soft skin of her waist, he pulled her closer, and she wrapped her arms around him as she felt her resolve weaken once more. As James had done to Lucinda, he slid his hands around to the back of her neck, and pulled her closer, his kisses growing deeper, and more frantic. His caresses grew rough, and suddenly she gasped, as he plunged his hands into her hair he had caught the side of her temple. Stars appeared behind her eyes, and she felt the gash break and a thin trickle of blood began to slip down the side of her face. It was the wake up call she needed, and she came crashing down to reality.
'No!' she cried out, and pushed him away. She saw the flash of anger in his face, and then he saw the blood on her face. He brushed the hair back from her face, saw the freshly opened cut, and then the smear of blood on the back of his fingers. He met her eyes, and saw the doubt there, and knew she was still questioning his involvement in her accident. He reached for her again, but she jerked away and walked into the bathroom.
She was shaking. Placing her hands on the counter she breathed deeply, trying to force down all the horror that was swamping her. In too deep, you're in too deep, the words pounded in her head. Flicking her hair back from her face she reached for a tissue.
Alec was standing in the door way. His shirt collar was undone, his hair tousled. Their eyes met in the mirror. She dropped hers first. He rubbed the shadow of stubble that darkened his jaw. 'You were lost in thought,' he said.
'I was.. ' her lips were dry and she dampened them with her tongue. 'I was thinking how we all have to live with the consequences of our actions.'
'And the consequences of tonight?' he was unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice, he had thought that they had, that something had happened between them that night.
She closed her eyes briefly, but when she spoke her voice was calm without a trace of a tremble. 'That I shall still have to do my duty when the time comes.' She dabbed at the blood on her temple.
With a sudden dark look he was across the room, arms on either side of her, loosely pinning her to the counter, barely touching her. 'You duty?' his voice was low and dangerous, once more Janus, his breath warm on her bare shoulder, his head bent so far forward she couldn't see his face in the mirror.
'To complete my assignment of course.' She ran the tissue under the cold tap and placed it firmly against her cut.
He recalled her words earlier. 'And if I were to 'compromise' your assignment?' he raised his eyes and they were filled with shadows.
'Then I would kill you.' Her voice was like ice. His hands tightened on the counter, the knuckles white and she could feel the tension in his lean body.
'Would you?'
She turned, and leaned back. 'I would regret it.'
He laughed, a half strangled sound that choked from his throat.
She had to ask. 'And I? If you had to kill me, could you do it?' she bit her lip as she waited for his answer.
Alec's eyes suddenly were as cold and as hard as steel. He lifted his hands as if he was going to place them on her shoulders, and then as quick as a snake he clamped them round her throat, his thumbs digging firmly into her windpipe...
*
Lucinda's thumb eased off the safety. 'Who exactly are you Mr. Bond, and I suggest you don't try lying to me.'
Bond remained calm. 'Is there any point in trying to lie to you? You know who I am as well as I know who you are.'
Lucinda shrugged.
'So what do you get from all this?' Bond asked. 'Why do you remain loyal to Deronda?'
She gave a slow catlike smile. 'Power. What else? Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no underlying motive to my actions. I'm simply out for everything I can get.'
'At least you're honest.' Bond conceded.
She fired then, but Bond anticipated it, and with the usual grace and languor he threw himself out of the way. The bullet hit the mirror above him, and he was showered in tiny pieces of glass. Seven years bad luck, but not for him tonight he decided. He was quick, Lucinda a bad shot, it meant the odds were reasonably stacked in his favour. He threw himself across the room, hitting her ankles and knocking her over, she crumpled down upon him, and he grappled the gun from her hand. She was struggling like a wild cat, and bored he slammed the butt of the gun into her head. She slumped, unconscious, and he stood, straightening his tie. Without a backwards glance at the fallen woman, he walked from the room.
*
In shock Ashleigh stepped backwards, and fell heavily against the bathroom counter. Alec's thumbs continued to cruelly cut off her air supply, she gazed up at him in horror, her hands scrabbled against his, her short nails gouging into his hands. Once more he was demonic above her, his face had the blankness of a killer, she struggled, but every time she moved, his grasp got tighter. Her knees gave way, and she reached out desperately, hoping to press her own thumbs into the soft flesh of his face, or into the small indentation next to the ball of his shoulder, anywhere that would cause him pain and make him let go.
He dropped her.
Frantically drawing in breath she fell to the floor, one hand rubbing her throat, the other still clinging above her to the counter. She looked up at him with frightened eyes, and pressed back, trying to get as far away as possible from him. The coldness had left his face.
'I could kill you anytime I wanted to,' he said, 'But unless you present me with a reason to, I won't.'
Taking her hand he helped her to her feet, and confused she slumped against him, her heart racing, holding onto him for dear life. Her anger kicked in.
'You evil bastard!' she swore, pounding her fists against his chest, 'Bastard! Bastard!'
Like an adult soothing an upset child, he continued to hold her, until her anger passed. She looked up at him. 'I will never hurt you again,' he promised, 'Unless you make me. I have no argument with you.'
'Why not?' she hissed, refusing to let the matter drop. 'I'm English. I'm born of the nation that betrayed your parents, I work for the organisation that you betrayed, and my godfather is the man that killed you twice. I know what you're doing Alec, I'm your revenge.' She paused as she heard her own words. 'And perhaps you are mine...'
She had never rebelled, not once throughout her entire life, simply following orders, living a quiet life. This was her revenge against everyone that had ever controlled her, dictated her life and actions to her, and a warmth flowed through her body, her eyes widened at this realisation, and she tilted head back, pulling him down until he kissed her again, clinging to him, kissing him as if her life depended on it.
He pulled back slightly, so their lips still brushed as he spoke. 'Stay. Tonight, here, stay...'
She kissed him softly. 'No.'
'Just tonight,'
'I can't.' she tried to step away, but he held her tightly reminding her of his strength. Her eyes hardened and she remembered the events of only five minutes ago. She yanked away, and he let her go, realising he was going too far.
'I'm used to getting my own way, Ash.' He regained control, running a steady hand over his blond hair.
'Not tonight.' She was as stubborn as he was, as her father had been, as James was, she had made up her mind and nothing would change it now. 'Don't get me wrong Alec, I want to. But its gone too far, and its getting far too personal. This has to stop. I can't let you get in the way of this assignment, I can't get involved. Goodbye Alec.'
She pressed her lips against his in a final kiss, but he didn't respond, and she knew then that she had lost him. She felt as sudden flare of pain as she realised this, and she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them he had turned from her. She snatched the keys to the Mercedes. Feeling as if she was making the worst decision of her life, she drove back to her hotel. Only when the door shut behind her, and she was alone in her room, did she let a single tear fall down her face.
Inside her kisses were warm and welcoming, her fingers gliding over his muscled and toned body, and Bond felt the familiar detachment within him rise. This was just another woman who was offering herself and her body to him. But he didn't refuse. He never did, and occasionally he felt something for them. Even entering into relationships with them but they never lasted. And soon he could barely remember them, and there was always another woman to take their place. Lucinda was tugging eagerly at him, and he had to admit that she was passionate. His hands slipped under her fine blonde hair to caress the back of her neck and pull her closer to him as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She pressed back against him, and soon she was tugging at his jacket, and encouraging him in his touches.
She was good, writhing beneath him as he thrust into her, meeting him, arching her back, gently clawing at his skin. Afterwards he held her, stroking her soft side, automatically going through the familiar gestures, kissing the back of her neck, whispering softly in her ear.
'You can't stay,' she said almost harshly. He nodded, he hadn't expected or planned to. Slipping from the bed she headed to the other room, carrying her clothes. Quickly Bond leapt from the warmth of the rumpled bed sheets and dressed in a smooth practised manner. He knew what he had to do. The papers were carefully hidden under the lining of a drawer, showing the floor plans of a scientific complex, laboratories, research areas, all neatly laid out in the rolled up blue prints. The tiny camera he carried did its work, and they were recorded. Working silently he replaced them, and turned.
Lucinda walked into the room, and he was hardly surprised to see her carrying a gun.
'Lucinda,' he reprimanded her gently, 'You don't have to threaten me to get me to leave.'
She threw him a scornful look. 'Enough, Mr. Bond.'
*
Ashleigh stood, and walked around the table to him, taking his hand and pulling him to his feet, their lips meeting in a surprisingly tender kiss. It deepened as his hands crept under her top to find the soft skin of her waist, he pulled her closer, and she wrapped her arms around him as she felt her resolve weaken once more. As James had done to Lucinda, he slid his hands around to the back of her neck, and pulled her closer, his kisses growing deeper, and more frantic. His caresses grew rough, and suddenly she gasped, as he plunged his hands into her hair he had caught the side of her temple. Stars appeared behind her eyes, and she felt the gash break and a thin trickle of blood began to slip down the side of her face. It was the wake up call she needed, and she came crashing down to reality.
'No!' she cried out, and pushed him away. She saw the flash of anger in his face, and then he saw the blood on her face. He brushed the hair back from her face, saw the freshly opened cut, and then the smear of blood on the back of his fingers. He met her eyes, and saw the doubt there, and knew she was still questioning his involvement in her accident. He reached for her again, but she jerked away and walked into the bathroom.
She was shaking. Placing her hands on the counter she breathed deeply, trying to force down all the horror that was swamping her. In too deep, you're in too deep, the words pounded in her head. Flicking her hair back from her face she reached for a tissue.
Alec was standing in the door way. His shirt collar was undone, his hair tousled. Their eyes met in the mirror. She dropped hers first. He rubbed the shadow of stubble that darkened his jaw. 'You were lost in thought,' he said.
'I was.. ' her lips were dry and she dampened them with her tongue. 'I was thinking how we all have to live with the consequences of our actions.'
'And the consequences of tonight?' he was unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice, he had thought that they had, that something had happened between them that night.
She closed her eyes briefly, but when she spoke her voice was calm without a trace of a tremble. 'That I shall still have to do my duty when the time comes.' She dabbed at the blood on her temple.
With a sudden dark look he was across the room, arms on either side of her, loosely pinning her to the counter, barely touching her. 'You duty?' his voice was low and dangerous, once more Janus, his breath warm on her bare shoulder, his head bent so far forward she couldn't see his face in the mirror.
'To complete my assignment of course.' She ran the tissue under the cold tap and placed it firmly against her cut.
He recalled her words earlier. 'And if I were to 'compromise' your assignment?' he raised his eyes and they were filled with shadows.
'Then I would kill you.' Her voice was like ice. His hands tightened on the counter, the knuckles white and she could feel the tension in his lean body.
'Would you?'
She turned, and leaned back. 'I would regret it.'
He laughed, a half strangled sound that choked from his throat.
She had to ask. 'And I? If you had to kill me, could you do it?' she bit her lip as she waited for his answer.
Alec's eyes suddenly were as cold and as hard as steel. He lifted his hands as if he was going to place them on her shoulders, and then as quick as a snake he clamped them round her throat, his thumbs digging firmly into her windpipe...
*
Lucinda's thumb eased off the safety. 'Who exactly are you Mr. Bond, and I suggest you don't try lying to me.'
Bond remained calm. 'Is there any point in trying to lie to you? You know who I am as well as I know who you are.'
Lucinda shrugged.
'So what do you get from all this?' Bond asked. 'Why do you remain loyal to Deronda?'
She gave a slow catlike smile. 'Power. What else? Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no underlying motive to my actions. I'm simply out for everything I can get.'
'At least you're honest.' Bond conceded.
She fired then, but Bond anticipated it, and with the usual grace and languor he threw himself out of the way. The bullet hit the mirror above him, and he was showered in tiny pieces of glass. Seven years bad luck, but not for him tonight he decided. He was quick, Lucinda a bad shot, it meant the odds were reasonably stacked in his favour. He threw himself across the room, hitting her ankles and knocking her over, she crumpled down upon him, and he grappled the gun from her hand. She was struggling like a wild cat, and bored he slammed the butt of the gun into her head. She slumped, unconscious, and he stood, straightening his tie. Without a backwards glance at the fallen woman, he walked from the room.
*
In shock Ashleigh stepped backwards, and fell heavily against the bathroom counter. Alec's thumbs continued to cruelly cut off her air supply, she gazed up at him in horror, her hands scrabbled against his, her short nails gouging into his hands. Once more he was demonic above her, his face had the blankness of a killer, she struggled, but every time she moved, his grasp got tighter. Her knees gave way, and she reached out desperately, hoping to press her own thumbs into the soft flesh of his face, or into the small indentation next to the ball of his shoulder, anywhere that would cause him pain and make him let go.
He dropped her.
Frantically drawing in breath she fell to the floor, one hand rubbing her throat, the other still clinging above her to the counter. She looked up at him with frightened eyes, and pressed back, trying to get as far away as possible from him. The coldness had left his face.
'I could kill you anytime I wanted to,' he said, 'But unless you present me with a reason to, I won't.'
Taking her hand he helped her to her feet, and confused she slumped against him, her heart racing, holding onto him for dear life. Her anger kicked in.
'You evil bastard!' she swore, pounding her fists against his chest, 'Bastard! Bastard!'
Like an adult soothing an upset child, he continued to hold her, until her anger passed. She looked up at him. 'I will never hurt you again,' he promised, 'Unless you make me. I have no argument with you.'
'Why not?' she hissed, refusing to let the matter drop. 'I'm English. I'm born of the nation that betrayed your parents, I work for the organisation that you betrayed, and my godfather is the man that killed you twice. I know what you're doing Alec, I'm your revenge.' She paused as she heard her own words. 'And perhaps you are mine...'
She had never rebelled, not once throughout her entire life, simply following orders, living a quiet life. This was her revenge against everyone that had ever controlled her, dictated her life and actions to her, and a warmth flowed through her body, her eyes widened at this realisation, and she tilted head back, pulling him down until he kissed her again, clinging to him, kissing him as if her life depended on it.
He pulled back slightly, so their lips still brushed as he spoke. 'Stay. Tonight, here, stay...'
She kissed him softly. 'No.'
'Just tonight,'
'I can't.' she tried to step away, but he held her tightly reminding her of his strength. Her eyes hardened and she remembered the events of only five minutes ago. She yanked away, and he let her go, realising he was going too far.
'I'm used to getting my own way, Ash.' He regained control, running a steady hand over his blond hair.
'Not tonight.' She was as stubborn as he was, as her father had been, as James was, she had made up her mind and nothing would change it now. 'Don't get me wrong Alec, I want to. But its gone too far, and its getting far too personal. This has to stop. I can't let you get in the way of this assignment, I can't get involved. Goodbye Alec.'
She pressed her lips against his in a final kiss, but he didn't respond, and she knew then that she had lost him. She felt as sudden flare of pain as she realised this, and she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them he had turned from her. She snatched the keys to the Mercedes. Feeling as if she was making the worst decision of her life, she drove back to her hotel. Only when the door shut behind her, and she was alone in her room, did she let a single tear fall down her face.