Not So Important Author's Note: Okay, so I don't know if Sark really does have a ring on his finger, but for the sake of this chapter, he does. Confused, don't worry; you'll understand what I'm talking about in a second.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chloe's tears slid off Sark's bare shoulder and down his arm and back, but he didn't care, he just continued to hold her tightly. It felt good to have her in his arms again, even though it had been a few hours since he'd last held her. His hand ran over her back in slow, comforting circles. With a sniffle, Chloe pulled away from him, and Sark immediately felt cold. She wiped her eyes with trembling hands and looked down at the floor.
"This is too hard Julian," she said softly, "I can't keep having you break my heart." She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "Every time I think you love me you do something that makes me think otherwise."
"Chloe..." Sark started.
"No," she shook her head, "let me finish." She took a deep breath and continued. "I love you, but if things keep going like they are, I don't think I can be with you. I've given it some serious thought and...I'm going home. I'm sure you can figure out the disk by..."
"Listen to me Chloe," He interrupted her. He took her hand in his and, when she looked back down at the floor, he forced her to look at him. "I know now that I love you and I promise I will never knowingly hurt you again. You have my word."
"But how can I believe that?" she asked, her eyes beginning to water again. Sark looked down at their entwined hands. The slim gold band that he wore on his ring finger caught his attention. That ring had been his father's wedding band, and it was the only link that Sark had to the father he never knew.
He let go of Chloe's hand long enough to pull the ring off, then took her hand in his again.
"You see this ring?" he said. She looked at him and nodded. "This is my promise to you." he slid it on her right ring finger slowly. "I won't hurt you again Chloe, this ring signifies that."
The weight of the ring seemed to bring the realness of the situation crashing down on Chloe. She stared at the gold band, her eyes misting. It seemed for all the world like a proposal, but she knew better than that.
"A girl can dream can't she?" she thought with a small smile. She looked up at Sark, and her heart swelled. Looking into his eyes, she knew he truly loved her. Sliding her hand up his chest, she pulled his head down and kissed him slowly and lovingly. His hands encircled her waist, but Chloe didn't want them there. She took his hands in hers and moved them slowly up her torso until they were above her breasts.
Sark pulled away from the kiss and looked down at her, uncertain yet anxious.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her. Chloe was at a loss for words. Her emotions, and hormones, were ruling her, and she could do nothing to stop them. She nodded her head slowly. Sark smiled and captured her lips with his own.
Chloe's knees went weak as his lips touched hers, and she gripped Sark's shoulders tightly to keep from falling. A moan escaped her throat as his left hand brushed her breast, and she arched into him. His tongue dueled with her own as his hands traveled back down to her waist and tugged at the bottom of her shirt. Chloe pulled away from the kiss and allowed him to pull her shirt off. She could feel him looking at her, and she met his gaze fearlessly.
Never before had Chloe allowed a man to see her this way. She had never even let her dates touch her in the way Sark was touching her now. His hands were gliding over her stomach and back, inching slowly toward her bra strap. Chloe couldn't control her hands anymore than she could control her emotions. It was as if her hands had minds of their own as they traveled over Sark's rock solid abs and chest.
It felt like heaven to be so free, but a voice in the back of her mind kept telling Chloe that what she was doing was wrong. She didn't want it to stop though; she wanted to go on kissing Sark forever. She wanted to be with him more than anything, wanted him to see her like no one else ever had. He unhooked her bra skillfully, and Chloe gasped as he slowly slid it off her shoulders. She pulled back, suddenly overcome with fear.
"What is it?" he asked, looking down at her worriedly. Heat filled her body, and Chloe knew that her face was as red as a tomato. His eyes were on her half-naked body, looking at her, seeing her in a new way. She hurriedly pushed her bra back up so that it covered her once more.
"I...I think we're moving too fast." She stuttered, taking her hands off his chest quickly, as if she had been burned by his bare skin. Her breathing was ragged, and she was finding it hard to think. Though they were no longer touching, Sark's touch still ruled her. She had to look away from him, his gaze was too knowing, too loving.
"Look at me Chloe," he said, tucking his finger under her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "I want this, and I know you want it too."
"I...I can't." she said pulling away from him and walking to the other end of the room where she was safe from his touch.
"Why not?" Sark did not try to approach her; he only looked at her with soulful eyes that sought answers.
"It's not right Julian." She replied, "I want my first time to be romantic, with candles and roses. I don't want it to be in some sleazy motel where people come for one night stands." Chloe wrapped her arms around herself, trying to give her body some coverage and hide it from Sark's gaze, which traveled over her easily. Any reply that Sark was going to make was cut off by the sound of car doors opening and closing.
Curiously, Chloe approached the window and peeked through the curtain. She gasped and Sark hurried to her side.
"What is it?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulder and looking over her head out the window.
"My parents," Chloe whispered, quickly drawing away from the window so that the field agents and her family would not see her, "They must have traced my call." She looked up at Sark, her eyes wide with fright. "We have to get out of here before they find out which room we're in." Sark nodded and grabbed his shirt. He pulled it on and tossed Chloe hers.
"We'll have to crawl out of the bathroom window." He said, picking up her backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Chloe nodded and followed him into the small, closet like room.
"Wait!" she cried turning around and running back into the room. She ran back in quickly and held the laptop up. "We almost forgot the disk." Sark pried open the window and helped Chloe through. He tossed the backpack out to her, then handed the laptop through before climbing out himself.
Vaughn pulled their car into the parking lot of the Starlight Motel and Sydney jumped out quickly, careful not to slam the door shut behind her. She followed her father, Dixon, and her husband to the main office. The clerk behind the desk looked up at them sleepily, not at all surprised to see three men enter with one woman.
"Can I help you?" he asked, eyeing Sydney up and down.
"We're looking for this girl." Jack said, stepping between the clerk and his daughter, and holding out a recent picture of Chloe.
"Whatcha lookin' for her for?" the man asked, his long, greasy black hair hanging in his face as he leaned over the picture.
"Just answer the question." Jack barked. The man looked up at him, his pupils were dilated and blood shot, and the sickeningly sweet smell of pot hung in the air.
"She came in last night," the man said, "hot chick too. She was with some British guy."
"Where are they now?"
"Ah..." the man checked the computer sitting beside him, "they're in room fifteen."
"Thank you." Jack said briskly, turning on his heels and exiting the lobby with Sydney, Vaughn, and Dixon close behind.
"I'll tell the men to move in." Dixon said as they walked back to the van that held a handful of CIA agents.
"I want to go in first." Sydney said, breaking the silence that she had held since first receiving Chloe's phone call.
"Do you think that's wise Syd?" Vaughn asked, looking at his wife.
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think I was up for it." Sydney growled, showing off her resemblance to her father. Vaughn looked to Jack for help, but the older man simply shrugged. Vaughn shook his head, knowing he wouldn't get any back up.
Dixon signaled for his men to get out of the van and the group moved stealthily towards the room. He nodded and one of his men kicked in the door. Sydney entered the room first, her gun drawn and at the ready.
"Damn it!" she yelled, kicking the bed as soon as she saw the empty room. "We were this close." She said as Vaughn and Jack entered the room. "We were this close."
Alrighty y'all, here's the deal. I won't be updating for awhile 'cause I'm having trouble starting the next chapter. I know what I want to happen, but I just don't know how to start it. I won't be able to write any tomorrow, because I'm going to visit my sister at the camp that she works at. So, it might take awhile for the next update. Hopefully though, this chapter is enough to sustain you through those difficult days. Lol. Please review and tell me what you thought. Maybe reading your reviews will help me get over my writers block.
PS. Is it just me, or is Chloe starting to turn into a whiny crybaby? I don't know, but I'll have to fix that.
Csk8-20: You'll have to fight me for them. Lol.
Wicked-sista: I thought that that line was funny too.
intriKate: I agree whole-heartedly with you. The problem is I often times write dialogue the same way I talk, which makes it really hard to write how someone else would speak. But I'll work on it.
neptunestar: I agree with you. I wouldn't forgive a man if he hit me, especially if I was as tough as I portray Chloe to be. But the way I see it is Chloe knows that Sark is still trying to get used to being the good guy. He hasn't quite got a handle on his temper, and sometimes just needs to lash out. Also, Chloe is sort of used to Sark beating on her (that doesn't make it right I know, but bear with me) and so I think she sort of expects it to happen. I don't think I'm explaining this right, but I'm not sure if I understand it either. The thing is, I don't write the story, the story writes itself, and whatever happens in it is not necessarily what I want to happen. Does that make sense? Well, I should stop writing before I confuse you even more, and before I confuse myself.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chloe's tears slid off Sark's bare shoulder and down his arm and back, but he didn't care, he just continued to hold her tightly. It felt good to have her in his arms again, even though it had been a few hours since he'd last held her. His hand ran over her back in slow, comforting circles. With a sniffle, Chloe pulled away from him, and Sark immediately felt cold. She wiped her eyes with trembling hands and looked down at the floor.
"This is too hard Julian," she said softly, "I can't keep having you break my heart." She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "Every time I think you love me you do something that makes me think otherwise."
"Chloe..." Sark started.
"No," she shook her head, "let me finish." She took a deep breath and continued. "I love you, but if things keep going like they are, I don't think I can be with you. I've given it some serious thought and...I'm going home. I'm sure you can figure out the disk by..."
"Listen to me Chloe," He interrupted her. He took her hand in his and, when she looked back down at the floor, he forced her to look at him. "I know now that I love you and I promise I will never knowingly hurt you again. You have my word."
"But how can I believe that?" she asked, her eyes beginning to water again. Sark looked down at their entwined hands. The slim gold band that he wore on his ring finger caught his attention. That ring had been his father's wedding band, and it was the only link that Sark had to the father he never knew.
He let go of Chloe's hand long enough to pull the ring off, then took her hand in his again.
"You see this ring?" he said. She looked at him and nodded. "This is my promise to you." he slid it on her right ring finger slowly. "I won't hurt you again Chloe, this ring signifies that."
The weight of the ring seemed to bring the realness of the situation crashing down on Chloe. She stared at the gold band, her eyes misting. It seemed for all the world like a proposal, but she knew better than that.
"A girl can dream can't she?" she thought with a small smile. She looked up at Sark, and her heart swelled. Looking into his eyes, she knew he truly loved her. Sliding her hand up his chest, she pulled his head down and kissed him slowly and lovingly. His hands encircled her waist, but Chloe didn't want them there. She took his hands in hers and moved them slowly up her torso until they were above her breasts.
Sark pulled away from the kiss and looked down at her, uncertain yet anxious.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her. Chloe was at a loss for words. Her emotions, and hormones, were ruling her, and she could do nothing to stop them. She nodded her head slowly. Sark smiled and captured her lips with his own.
Chloe's knees went weak as his lips touched hers, and she gripped Sark's shoulders tightly to keep from falling. A moan escaped her throat as his left hand brushed her breast, and she arched into him. His tongue dueled with her own as his hands traveled back down to her waist and tugged at the bottom of her shirt. Chloe pulled away from the kiss and allowed him to pull her shirt off. She could feel him looking at her, and she met his gaze fearlessly.
Never before had Chloe allowed a man to see her this way. She had never even let her dates touch her in the way Sark was touching her now. His hands were gliding over her stomach and back, inching slowly toward her bra strap. Chloe couldn't control her hands anymore than she could control her emotions. It was as if her hands had minds of their own as they traveled over Sark's rock solid abs and chest.
It felt like heaven to be so free, but a voice in the back of her mind kept telling Chloe that what she was doing was wrong. She didn't want it to stop though; she wanted to go on kissing Sark forever. She wanted to be with him more than anything, wanted him to see her like no one else ever had. He unhooked her bra skillfully, and Chloe gasped as he slowly slid it off her shoulders. She pulled back, suddenly overcome with fear.
"What is it?" he asked, looking down at her worriedly. Heat filled her body, and Chloe knew that her face was as red as a tomato. His eyes were on her half-naked body, looking at her, seeing her in a new way. She hurriedly pushed her bra back up so that it covered her once more.
"I...I think we're moving too fast." She stuttered, taking her hands off his chest quickly, as if she had been burned by his bare skin. Her breathing was ragged, and she was finding it hard to think. Though they were no longer touching, Sark's touch still ruled her. She had to look away from him, his gaze was too knowing, too loving.
"Look at me Chloe," he said, tucking his finger under her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "I want this, and I know you want it too."
"I...I can't." she said pulling away from him and walking to the other end of the room where she was safe from his touch.
"Why not?" Sark did not try to approach her; he only looked at her with soulful eyes that sought answers.
"It's not right Julian." She replied, "I want my first time to be romantic, with candles and roses. I don't want it to be in some sleazy motel where people come for one night stands." Chloe wrapped her arms around herself, trying to give her body some coverage and hide it from Sark's gaze, which traveled over her easily. Any reply that Sark was going to make was cut off by the sound of car doors opening and closing.
Curiously, Chloe approached the window and peeked through the curtain. She gasped and Sark hurried to her side.
"What is it?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulder and looking over her head out the window.
"My parents," Chloe whispered, quickly drawing away from the window so that the field agents and her family would not see her, "They must have traced my call." She looked up at Sark, her eyes wide with fright. "We have to get out of here before they find out which room we're in." Sark nodded and grabbed his shirt. He pulled it on and tossed Chloe hers.
"We'll have to crawl out of the bathroom window." He said, picking up her backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Chloe nodded and followed him into the small, closet like room.
"Wait!" she cried turning around and running back into the room. She ran back in quickly and held the laptop up. "We almost forgot the disk." Sark pried open the window and helped Chloe through. He tossed the backpack out to her, then handed the laptop through before climbing out himself.
Vaughn pulled their car into the parking lot of the Starlight Motel and Sydney jumped out quickly, careful not to slam the door shut behind her. She followed her father, Dixon, and her husband to the main office. The clerk behind the desk looked up at them sleepily, not at all surprised to see three men enter with one woman.
"Can I help you?" he asked, eyeing Sydney up and down.
"We're looking for this girl." Jack said, stepping between the clerk and his daughter, and holding out a recent picture of Chloe.
"Whatcha lookin' for her for?" the man asked, his long, greasy black hair hanging in his face as he leaned over the picture.
"Just answer the question." Jack barked. The man looked up at him, his pupils were dilated and blood shot, and the sickeningly sweet smell of pot hung in the air.
"She came in last night," the man said, "hot chick too. She was with some British guy."
"Where are they now?"
"Ah..." the man checked the computer sitting beside him, "they're in room fifteen."
"Thank you." Jack said briskly, turning on his heels and exiting the lobby with Sydney, Vaughn, and Dixon close behind.
"I'll tell the men to move in." Dixon said as they walked back to the van that held a handful of CIA agents.
"I want to go in first." Sydney said, breaking the silence that she had held since first receiving Chloe's phone call.
"Do you think that's wise Syd?" Vaughn asked, looking at his wife.
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think I was up for it." Sydney growled, showing off her resemblance to her father. Vaughn looked to Jack for help, but the older man simply shrugged. Vaughn shook his head, knowing he wouldn't get any back up.
Dixon signaled for his men to get out of the van and the group moved stealthily towards the room. He nodded and one of his men kicked in the door. Sydney entered the room first, her gun drawn and at the ready.
"Damn it!" she yelled, kicking the bed as soon as she saw the empty room. "We were this close." She said as Vaughn and Jack entered the room. "We were this close."
Alrighty y'all, here's the deal. I won't be updating for awhile 'cause I'm having trouble starting the next chapter. I know what I want to happen, but I just don't know how to start it. I won't be able to write any tomorrow, because I'm going to visit my sister at the camp that she works at. So, it might take awhile for the next update. Hopefully though, this chapter is enough to sustain you through those difficult days. Lol. Please review and tell me what you thought. Maybe reading your reviews will help me get over my writers block.
PS. Is it just me, or is Chloe starting to turn into a whiny crybaby? I don't know, but I'll have to fix that.
Csk8-20: You'll have to fight me for them. Lol.
Wicked-sista: I thought that that line was funny too.
intriKate: I agree whole-heartedly with you. The problem is I often times write dialogue the same way I talk, which makes it really hard to write how someone else would speak. But I'll work on it.
neptunestar: I agree with you. I wouldn't forgive a man if he hit me, especially if I was as tough as I portray Chloe to be. But the way I see it is Chloe knows that Sark is still trying to get used to being the good guy. He hasn't quite got a handle on his temper, and sometimes just needs to lash out. Also, Chloe is sort of used to Sark beating on her (that doesn't make it right I know, but bear with me) and so I think she sort of expects it to happen. I don't think I'm explaining this right, but I'm not sure if I understand it either. The thing is, I don't write the story, the story writes itself, and whatever happens in it is not necessarily what I want to happen. Does that make sense? Well, I should stop writing before I confuse you even more, and before I confuse myself.