AN: Thanks for all of the story love, hope you enjoy this update and see you again on Wednesday.


Eric sits back in his office chair and tries to think of anything other than the email in front of him. Their guards had been seeing more factionless milling around than usual, and even people they didn't recognize, but Max had been saying it was nothing for over two months now.

He now knows that Max was full of shit.

The email from Jack Kang sure looked like something, especially when he reported he had someone in custody whose fingerprints were not in any city records, and chillingly they also had never been spotted on any camera before the day they were brought into custody. This person also was not found on any of their facial recognition software. They'd taken care to always track the inhabitants of Chicago, including the factionless, storing all birth records within the faction of truth. With as much surveillance as their city was under, it was impossible to make it to adulthood without having a record on file.

Yet the person in Candor custody was an adult male, and had absolutely no way of being identified. As a result, Max had finally started talking about deploying more troops, just to have soldier presence on the ground inside and outside the factions to ensure nothing and no one is slipping through.

All he could think about was Tris being out of the faction alone last night, all while there were unknown people infiltrating their city. She was capable, he knows she is strong and well trained, but the thought of one of these people hurting her chills him.

Eric doesn't want to think about this shit right now.

He takes his glasses off and lets his mind wander to just last night, the very reason that Tris was out of the faction alone. They'd acted out yet another one of her fantasies, leaving left the faction separately, opting to meet in one of the underground sex clubs in Amity that asked no questions about faction affiliation, and turned the other cheek to what went on behind its closed doors.

Tris had told Eric she'd been there before with Austyn, and Eric had continued to ask Tris if her friendship with Austyn was more than just platonic, and she'd told him honestly that it almost had been but they'd opted to not ruin the friendship they had. Her answer never changed, no matter how many different ways he posed the question, so he'd finally had to check his jealousy at the door and let it be.

He once again wondered if Austyn had ever told her about their drunken and handsy make-out sessions after long nights in the alternative clubs. He'd never fucked Austyn, but he can't say he never wanted to. He can appreciate a sexy man, and his junior apprentice sure fit that mold with his caramel colored skin, hazel eyes and a body that rivals his own. Eric just doesn't shit where he eats. Coworkers were off limits. It's another reason he's glad that Tris turned down Max's offer to join the apprenticeship after her training class, because they'd been going at it like crazy except for the brief few days when things had gotten a little too intense for Tris, and he had no intentions of giving up the best, and most frequent sex of his life. He had a high libido, and damn if Tris didn't feel exactly the same. They'd gotten better about getting more done on his leg sleeve tattoo, but he couldn't help but being turned on before she could even start working on him. Between their time together in the parlor, which was a four to five day a week occurrence, they'd also sneak around the faction on their lunch or dinner breaks, finding places where they could have a quickie before anyone could catch them. They'd had sex in The Pit more times than they should have, but the darkest corners where no one ever really paid attention were entirely too tempting. They'd been walked by a couple of times while he was buried deep inside of her, but she normally kept her face obscured by sucking on his neck under a curtain of her own hair while he pounded against her and people just kept moving.

They were used to seeing Eric on the prowl, but he always protected Tris.

Tris and Eric had acted like strangers once they'd gotten inside the club, and it was some of the most erotic foreplay either of them had experienced. Most of their interactions had been rushed when they were out in public, or quiet to avoid drawing attention to what was going on behind the closed door of her tattoo room or his office, but in the loud and crowded club they blended and he was able to put the moves on Tris without any prying eyes.

She'd grinded against him on the dance floor, moving her hips in time with his, and at one point she was sandwiched between him and a woman neither of them recognized. The woman had offered them both something known only as X, and after they'd taken it they found it impossible to keep their hands off of each other.

Even in their impaired state, he still couldn't get her to kiss him. However, they were both without any inhibitions and they somehow found themselves in a corner of the club, in full view of anyone who happened to walk by, with her bent over a table and him buried inside of her. They'd already gone through two condoms by this time, and had no intention of slowing down, and when they found an empty room with a door that could be shut he roughly bent her over a random couch and she didn't protest at all.

There they were, in a crowded club, fucking in a room that anyone could walk in to, and Tris begged him to take her in a way he never had. He'd finally opened up more to her recently, and even though there were always rumors about Eric's sexual orientation, hearing him admit to her that he'd had sex with both men and women had peaked her interest in many things, primarily anal sex and the thought of her having sex with a woman or even a man while with Eric.

At her insistence he'd gotten some lube, and he had three slicked fingers inside of her ass before he could even think better of what they were doing. He'd definitely explored her this way before, but they'd never actually had anal sex so this was a first for them. In that dark room he'd slowly eased into her tight hole while the loud music and thumping bass drowned out the noises they were making. She was impossibly tight, and they were in a sensory overload, he found himself coming like a teenager when they'd only been at this new position for a matter of minutes.

He knew she hadn't yet come, so he turned her around he buried his face in between her legs and sucked her clit until she was calling his name.

They had sex twice more, and he had her screaming his name repeatedly since they finally didn't have to be quiet. When they were spent, they then did something else they'd never done before when they sat together on opposite ends of the couch, with her feet propped up on his lap and him absentmindedly rubbing them. He didn't much have a foot fetish, but even touching her there was turning him on. When he realized she wasn't freaking out at the more intimate touching they'd started talking about anything and everything while they came down from their high.

Eric, in his impaired state, made a comment that he could visually see Tris react to, and he realized just how badly he fucked up as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Tris had tried to steer their conversation into to a topic he wasn't comfortable with, using words like relationship, commitment, and other things that made him lose any reasoning his impaired mind may have had. He couldn't even focus on what she was saying, instead he warned her again that he wasn't relationship material, and if this arrangement was in any way starting to resemble a relationship it needed to end because that's not what they were about. He didn't care what she was saying, he wanted to shut it all down because he wasn't ready to commit.

His words had hurt her, and he realized he didn't quite mean what he was saying, but he needed her to stop picking his brain apart when he couldn't form rational thoughts. He had tried to salvage the conversation, and even undo some of the damage his defense mechanisms had done, but she said she was too tired to talk more and asked to go home.

He felt like absolute shit for hurting her.

It was what happened on the train on the way back to Dauntless that really got stuck in his mind, and it wasn't even anything sexual. They'd sat down next to each other with their backs against the wall, and he knew she was absolutely exhausted. She still wasn't talking to him, and the quiet hum of the train made her nod off on his shoulder. He'd wrapped her up in his arms and she'd fallen sound asleep against him while he stayed awake and alert to watch the door.

He'd never been able to just hold her before. This wasn't something he'd ever done with anyone else. His sexual partners were just that - sex, with nothing else involved. Whenever he would have someone in his home he'd fuck them and whoever it was would have to immediately get dressed and leave. There was no cuddling, no sleeping in the same bed, his space was his and if he happened to follow someone else home he'd leave immediately after they'd have sex.

There was never someone's warm breath fanning over his neck, or lavender scented hair tickling his nose. There was never a body pressed firmly to his, or soft sighs against him that weren't leading to something sexual. Tris may have tried to avoid any intimacy with him, and he may constantly be pushing her away with his idiotic mouth, but the way they were wrapped together was far more intimate than any experience he'd ever had and Eric realized that he liked it. He purposely missed their stop, letting her sleep against him for over another hour, with his nose in her hair breathing her scent in.

They hadn't gotten back to Dauntless until early that very morning, and they'd parted after he had apologized profusely for his comments that evening. She'd told him she accepted, and that she realized they shouldn't have such serious conversations under the influence of alcohol and drugs, but she'd also verbally committed to keeping their friends with benefits arrangement as just that.

He went to bed unable to shake the feeling that he'd ruined something, and he couldn't figure out what it was. The three hours of sleep he'd finally managed wasn't nearly enough, but the night he had with her more than made up for it. He's brought out of his thoughts by a soft knock on his door. He sighs, tries to adjust himself but decides just to hide behind his desk, "Come in." He yells.

It's her.

"Am I interrupting?" Tris asks as she closes the door behind her.

He shakes his head, "I was thinking about you, and now you're here." He grins at her.

"Really? I just wanted to make sure you made it to work, especially since I hadn't gotten any texts from you this morning." She replies.

"Shit, I didn't even realize my phone was dead," He says as he examines it and then puts it on the charging pad, "I'm tired, but I'm here."

"I kept you out too late last night." She replies nervously.

"It was well worth it."

"Yeah?" She asks.

"Tris, I'm really sorry-"

"Please stop apologizing. It's done, okay? We don't need to keep rehashing it, I just wanted to check on you, I'll get out of your hair." She replies.

"I don't want you to go."

"Why?" She asks.

"I can't shake the feeling that I fucked everything up. I don't know, Tris. I just feel bad about upsetting you last night."

"Last night was good. I had so much fun with you."

"But what I said-"

"Eric, I don't want to talk about it." She reminds him.

"Can you stay?"

"I'm supposed to be having coffee with Austyn after his meeting." She replies.

"He can wait."

She looks at Eric, his silver eyes sparking mischievously. He pulls her toward him and she straddles his lap, "Eric, maybe we shouldn't..."

"I was an idiot last night, okay? I know you don't want to talk about it, and I'll respect that, but I'm sorry." He replies, "Please forgive me."

She hated that she can't stay mad at him. Last night hurt, and then him not talking to her this morning was even worse because she thought he'd decided to end things. However, the way he's holding her, and the pleading in his voice along with the look on his face tells Tris not only did he not mean to say what he did last night, he also didn't feel the way he said he did. His actions and words weren't matching, and against her better judgment she wants to follow his actions. For now, she'll live in the moment.

"I already forgave you." She says softly.

"If you want to go now, you can, I won't stop you, I just needed to know we're okay." He replies with his forehead pressed to hers.

"I don't want to leave. I want to make sure we're okay."

His hands travel up her back, pausing when he gets to the outline of her bra strap, "I hate it when you wear a bra." He pouts and she kisses his nose.

"I had a super early appointment and I didn't want him ogling my boobs. Some things are just for you."

Time stops for a moment, they both realize that even though her words were spoken lightly, the meaning behind them was heavier, and it was as close as she'd gotten to admitting she was starting to feel something. Just as he tries to pull her face down to his she moves from his lap and drops down to her knees in front of him.

It doesn't matter how many times she's gone down on him, it never fails to turn her on. The way he looks at her is so much more than just lust, but she can't think that way knowing that they both started this as just a sexual relationship.

"This outfit you're wearing is fucking hot, you look like a naughty school teacher and I might need you to discipline me later." He says breathily and she pulls her mouth away from him.

"That sounds fun, but right now I have a mission," She takes him deep in her mouth again.

"I'm not coming in your mouth this time, I want to be inside of you." He moans quietly.

"Here?" She asks.

"People have sex in their offices all the time, Tris. This isn't your normal workplace." He grins lazily at her and she stands up, kicking her shoes off and pulling her underwear off from under the short pleated skirt she's wearing.

"You'd better have a condom." She breathes out as she continues to stroke him.

"Top drawer."

She rummages around until she finds an unopened box, and while she's opening it she glances over at him, "A full box?"

"I never know when you might show up." He replies.

"Or someone else." She hedges as she rolls it down his length.

"When would I have time?" He asks her as she settles on his lap with his erection pointed up against her.

"We don't spend nights together." She argues.

"We practically did the past two nights." He retorts.

"You know what I meant."

"No, I just spend nights texting you from my bed until I've bored you to sleep, or you've made me jerk off with your sexting, trust me there's no one there with me." He replies as he rubs his length against her, "Are you telling me there's someone there with you when you're texting me?"

"No, but would you like there to be?" She asks as she positions him at her entrance and eases down on him.

"No..." He exhales as she moves against him.

"Why not?" She breathes out.

"I can't deal with someone else fucking you." He replies, surprising them both.

"Does that mean you'd be against someone joining us?" She asks.

"What we choose to do together is completely different. I'd be okay with having someone else join us, would you?" He asks.

"I've never been with a woman. How do I know if I'm missing something?" She asks.

"Are you sexually attracted to women?" He asks her and she stills on his lap.

"I'm not sure. Last night at the club, if I thought it would have been safe, I would have wanted to try." She admits.

"What if it was just the drugs we tried?" He asks and she diverts her eyes, "Hey, none of that, it's just us here. Talk to me."

"I don't know what I want." She replies quietly.

"What if I know someone who's safe, clean and incredibly discreet if you'd think you'd want to try?" He asks.

"Who?" He asks.

"The second hottest leader we have." He smirks at her.

"I'm already having sex with you," She barbs back and he bites her neck hard, "Eric!" She hisses.

"Who's the hottest if it's not me?" He asks as he shifts under her and begins moving his hips up against her.

"Fuck..." She drawls.

"Who?"

"Roni." She admits as she's quietly moaning his name. It was hard not to be attracted to Roni, she was curvy, with huge breasts, a thick ass and an almost swagger about how she carried herself. Roni was the fantasy of a lot of people, both men and women, and she knew how to use it to her advantage, "You told me you two fooled around while initiates. You think she'd hook up with us now?"

"It's been years, but I'm pretty sure she'd be down. Roni's a lot like me when it comes to how we view sex." He admits.

"Oh," Tris replies. He misses the brief look on Tris's face, but when she completely stills against him he looks at her.

"Are you okay?" He asks quietly, and she nods. She drops her lips to his neck and begins moving against him again. "What do you want to do to Roni, Tris?" He asks her as he slows his movements and she circles her hips over him.

"You always tell me I'm the best you've ever tasted. Have you tasted her?" She asks and he shakes his head, "Really?"

"I told you before that it's not something I do all the time. Maybe I have rules about what's too intimate too."

"You've done it with me, many times." She replies.

"Yeah, I have." He replies evenly and she watches as he averts his eyes. Tris notices, but she chooses to ignore it.

"Do you think I would like doing it?" She asks and he shrugs again.

"Only you will know that." He replies.

"I think I want to try it. Do you think she would be down?" Tris asks.

They still against each other, "Yeah, she knows me rather well. She's asked me quite a few times if there was something going on between us. I've managed to convince her that it's nothing more than a tattoo artist and a customer, and she's believing me for now"

"You're sure she'd be quiet about it?" She asks.

"Yeah I'm sure. She's always been someone I could talk to, and she doesn't run her mouth about anything. She and I have had some of the same partners too, just never at the same time or in a shared situation. She's kept my secrets and I've kept hers."

"Partners as in men and women?" Tris asks and he drops his head back on the chair, "Eric, please." She asks while cupping his cheek with her hand.

"Why are we talking about my former partners while I'm inside of you?" He asks.

"Because it turns me on to think about it. I want to know what you'd do with them?" She asks.

He moves his hands up her shirt and rubs her breasts above her bra, "What do you want to know?"

"Have you topped or bottomed?" She asks and he chuckles wryly.

"Why do you even know what that is?" He asks.

"You already know that one of my best male friends is bi, and he and I talk about stuff." She replies.

"I've done both." Eric finally admits.

"Which do you prefer?" She asks him as she presses herself against him and begins slowly riding him again.

His arms wrap around her, "It depends on my mood." He breathes out.

"Tell me..."

"Tris..." he breathes out, "I can't..."

"Eric, please talk to me. I want to know everything about you." She slows her movements and he pushes her back so he can rub her where they are connected. Her clit is swollen and so sensitive and she feels her body reacting to him.

"Sometimes I want to be penetrated. I can come from that, the stimulation it brings me, it's likely the same sensation you get when I hit your g-spot..." he says as he continues to stroke her, "When I'm in the mood to fuck, I usually find a woman, but sometimes a man will do if a woman is not available."

"Oh god..." She breathes out, "Baby you feel so good, keep doing that."

"I can't hold back, I'm going to explode..." He says and she begins to move against him, but then leans back with her elbows braced on the desk, and he continues to rub her.

"Fuck me like you do the people you hook up with. Like I'm someone who's just there for you to get off." She whispers.

"You're not them."

"Right now I am. You wanted a woman, you found me. You might have been fucked by a man right before we ran into each other, but you want more. You want to fuck someone, hard, without any thoughts, cares or emotions. We have the safe word, I can use it."

"Tris..." He trails off.

"I want you, Eric. I want every part." She says and she leans towards him, rubbing her nose against his, "I'll beg if you want. Do they beg you to fuck them?"

"Yes." He whispers.

"I want you to fuck me." She whispers in his ear before dragging her tongue around it, "Please fuck me, Eric. Please. Please give me what I need." She whispers breathily.

"What do you need?" He asks in a broken voice.

"You."

"Use the safe word if you need it." He whispers and she nods. He pushes her off of him and back onto his desk, grabbing her legs and pulling her hard until she feels like she's falling off the desk. He slams inside of her, pistoning into her and his hand grips her neck. There's a wild look in his eyes and she's starting to see black spots in her vision as he pounds hard against her. She can only hear the sounds of their skin slapping together, and the occasional grunt from him. She doesn't know if it's the extremely rough sex, or his hand on her throat, but when she comes he finally moves his hand from her throat to over her mouth to quiet her.

He pulls out of her, rips the condom off of his dick and rubs himself. He pulls her up, directly under his hand and she looks up at him in fascination through her thick eyelashes. He strokes himself until he begins to come on her face, her eyes shutting just in time.

When she opens her eyes she looks up at him, and finds him with a horrified look on his face.

"Tris, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have." He shakes his head.

She looks him straight in the eye when she licks his cum from her own lips. He can't help himself, he runs one of his own fingers through it and moves it to her lips, where she sucks it off of his fingers.

"I liked it." She whispers.

He yanks her shirt off of her and she can hear it ripping as he begins kissing and biting all over her neck and shoulders. He's fumbling in his drawer for another condom when there's a knock at his door.

"Eric, I'll need you in my office in five, Jack is getting through the gate security now and will be in to talk with us soon." Max calls out and they hear his boots walking away.

It definitely changed their mood.

"I... I shouldn't have-" Eric stammers.

"Stop it." Tris says as he helps her to sit up.

"Your throat, it's going to bruise." He says softly as he gently cleans her face and neck.

"I'm not worried about that, but I think you killed my shirt." She says and his eyes widen.

"Fuck. I'll have Roni bring something over." He says as he leans in to kiss her, catching just the corner of her lips as she turned away, "I'll buy you a new shirt too."

"It's a good thing you didn't get a hold of my bra." She grins at him.

"I should have. You've got amazing boobs, and I hate the thought of you wearing a bra." He smirks at her.

"My first causality of war." She laughs as she picks at the threads of the ruined shirt and he pulls her against him, pressing his lips to the crown of her head.

"I'm sorry." He replies.

"I'm not." She says happily.

"I have to go to this meeting, wait here and Roni will bring you something presentable to wear. If you feel comfortable, talk to her a little. Just please don't have sex with her without me," He grins at her and she chuckles.

"I never have sex with anyone without you." She replies and he meets her eyes, seeing the shock on her face from her admission.

She obviously never meant to say that.

"Tris-"

"Coulter, now!" They hear Harrison shout down the hall and Eric kisses her forehead before slipping out the door.

She looks at the back of his door, mentally cursing herself for slipping. She's too committed, and it's going to scare him off, so a change needs to be made in order to keep those lines from blurring.

"Sometimes it's good to be right," Roni grins at her as she quickly makes her way into the office, shutting the door behind her, "Eric said we should talk." A smile quirks her lips.

"We definitely should." Tris smiles back at her.