Chapter Six: Invitation

All Lisa could remember was Jackson deliberately pressing against her, one hand's fingers tracing her spine, the other holding her close against him. She vaguely theorized that she had never been kissed by a man that knew what he was doing as well as Jackson did. She slowly surrendered.

The next moments were a hot, fast blur, punctuated by both of their short, panting breaths. She wasn't sure where she ended and he began anymore. He knew everything about her, even that his lips on the very edge of hers was more arousing than a direct kiss, and she would lean further into him. She ran shivering fingers through his bangs, and then he complimented her movements by running his lips down her jaw and neck.

Fingers began inching her shirt up her torso.

She gave a sharp gasp. The pain in her scar flared up as if a red-hot knife had been pressed against it. She took his hand from her side the same as she would to something that had burned her. Jackson's head shot up, eyes quickly searching her face.

The cold, icy eyes flashed dangerously in her memory, and they were suddenly back on the plane. He had placed her father's monogrammed wallet on the tray before her. Those eyes were glancing devilishly up at her in her memory, and staring almost concernedly down at her in the present. Those were the same eyes of the man who would have had her father killed, who would have killed the Keefe's, who would have killed her. Then they changed to a dangerous dark brown, changed to the eyes of the man that had held a knife to her throat.

"No," she managed at last, but her voice didn't have any more strength in it. His eyes persisted. She shut hers, aware now that she was crying. "I can't," she cried lowly. He left the silence hanging for an agonizing moment, then brushed back her tears. She let the sob rise in her throat, then stifled it as it reached her lips.

"I hate when women cry," he muttered- the same words from their ride on the ambulance.

There was a sharp knock on the door. She opened her eyes to see Jackson looking peevishly in the direction of the door. It wasn't until that lucid moment she realized that Jackson's shirt and tie were messily undone. Against all reasoning, she felt a mad blush rise to her face and neck. Jackson lingered over her only another moment more, then pushed himself to his feet, drawing his fingers along her chin. She shivered at the contact.

Jackson hastily buttoned his shirt as he walked to the door. There was a key in the lock, a click, then a beam of light that illuminated the bed that Lisa had previously occupied. She lay quiet on the floor, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention. She strained her ears to listen in on the conversation. It seemed that a higher-up wanted Jackson to confirm that the call had been made. He answered in the affirmative. More murmured words that escaped her hearing, then two sets of footsteps left the room, the lock clicking after them.

Lisa sat up on the floor, wiping her face clear of tears. She felt around the desk that was beside her, then found a lamp. She turned it on and the room was flooded with light. She noticed the television again for the first time since she had stirred at the voice of the anchorwoman. Lisa wondered vaguely if anyone would charge in upon hearing the TV to kill her, but she remembered that Jackson bore the only key to his room. She then sat on the chair Jackson had occupied and switched the TV on.

It was a commercial about soap. Lisa wondered if there was a shower in the facility, but the thought only brought her mind to the men in the warehouse and the fact that she'd have to take her clothes off to bathe. The thought did not bring her comfort. The next commercial was for a new sports drink with people drenched in water and playing sports at the same time. She was sure it was some clever metaphor, but she couldn't help but wonder how hard it would be to play basketball while one's clothes were sopping wet. Then the anchorwoman returned.

Lisa watched with one elbow on the desk, propping her head up while she basked in the glow of the black-and-white TV. The anchorwoman was reporting on a fire that had broken out in downtown Miami at a small department store. She then moved on to a small Dog Show for children, followed by a segment on the weather. Sunny and warm on this fine summer day.

As she watched, she wondered how people could go on with their lives when such terrible things were happening to people like her, people like those caught in that fire. How could she skip from a story of a kidnapped woman to a child's Dog Show? It made her feel so small and insignificant. But she was. In the whole ordeal, she was a pawn to be used and sacrificed so that, ultimately, the game is won. It was part of Jackson's gambit, and, as far as she could tell, he wasn't used to failure.

She brushed her fingers across her lips, trying to remember if what had happened between them had been real or simply some strange dream. Had she been afraid? Was that why her heart was still beating so fast? She didn't know what to think anymore, and didn't care. She turned off the TV before the anchorwoman could start talking about the Senator from Ohio.

She only had to wait three more minutes for Jackson to arrive. He stood in the doorway, severely backlit, leaning with one shoulder on the doorframe and arms crossed over his chest. She knew that he was studying her even without needing to glance up. She knew the feel of his eyes on her by now. They had a different feel when they were looking at her. She looked up to see that he was twirling the key ring on his pointer finger.

"Here are your options, Leese," he began calmly. She noticed that his top two buttons were still undone. "One, I can throw these keys down on the desk and we can pick up where we left off." He smirked at the flush in her cheeks. "Or two, you can clean yourself up, have a nice lunch, then we pick up where we left off."

Lisa mulled over the choices, then ran a hand through her hair nervously.

"Door number two, please," she said, trying to interject some wit into her flat, quavering voice.

"All right." He grinned. "Follow me."

They stepped out into the hallway, his fingers wrapped gingerly around her wrist. She followed complacently, watching the back of his neck, following the curve of his hair, letting her eyes roll off of it like water. She quickly looked down at her feet.

There were no other people in the hallway of the second floor, but there were sounds that brought her to believe that some were stirring in the converted offices. They came down the rickety stairs, and then he pulled her off into a corner of the warehouse. A small room, walled with cement and a wooden door, was before them. Jackson flipped through his key ring and unlocked the door.

"As you can see, I've taken all of the safety precautions," he assured her as he swung the door open inward. Lisa gazed in. It was nothing fancy. White tiled floor, which broke into cement near the back wall, with a drain in the center of the second part of the floor. A curtain was attached to the wall where the break occurred. A crude shower. She saw that her own shampoos and soaps had mysteriously appeared beside the towel rack.

"Been in my house?" She asked. Jackson laughed.

"No, not me. I've been a bit too preoccupied entertaining you to take a little trip to your 'house.' I assume you're referring to your apartment, 5252 A-"

"I know where my apartment is," Lisa said.

"It was the late Mr. Gerard that did the 'packing' as we rode over in the ambulance." He let go of her wrist as he gently pushed her inside. "Now, be a good girl and wash behind your ears. You'll find your new clothes hanging on the shower bar."

"New clothes-?" Lisa looked over her shoulder to see a long black skirt and a red v-neck blouse hanging neatly where Jackson had said they would be.

"Those, on the other hand, were my doing. I believe they're just your size." He grinned as he ran his eyes down the length of her. He looked back to her face to see that she had averted her eyes. "Don't keep me waiting too long. I know you like long showers, but you'll have to cut this one short." Lisa shivered at the thought that he knew she liked long showers. "We have a lunch date." With that, he closed the door and locked it. She examined the doorknob quickly. It felt that every door in the place locked from the out side.

She quickly disrobed and turned the shower on, not too hot, not too cold. She remembered Jackson's words to keep things short, but she decided to make him squirm. It had been a while since she'd had a nice shower, and she wanted to get herself as clean as she could. She rinsed out the knife wound on her cheek, and washed her hair twice to rid herself of the feeling of the grinning man. Then she simply let the warm water run over her. It was a cleansing that she had desperately needed.

She shut off the water, and the pipes squealed with delight. A few more drips, and the water had been vanquished. Lisa had begun to dry her hair out when she heard a faint voice on the other side of the door. She wrapped a towel around her body and edged near the door. She knew that it was Jackson, but she hadn't expected him to be singing.

"And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King,

Have grown so tired of the same old thing-"

It was the same words she had heard in the hospital. Lisa listened quietly to the words of the song, listening to the sadness of the lyrics, and the dulcet tones that were Jackson's voice.

After lingering an instant more, she dressed herself in the clothes that Jackson had picked for her. The blouse was made of an almost velvety red cloth that shone, and was silky beneath her fingertips. The arms extended to her elbows and ended in an elegant fork. She tied the strings in the back into a bow. The skirt ran down past her knees, but didn't cover her ankles. She pined for shoes of any sort, but would have to bear. She wondered absently what to do with her old clothing, then hung it up on the hangars that the new clothes had previously occupied. She approached the door and timidly knocked on it. Jackson broke off his singing.

"All done?"

"Yes."

A pause.

"Well, you used up more time than I would have liked. Now we'll have to talk at lunch to save time." He unlocked the bathroom door. She was amazed to see that he had changed clothes while she had showered. A crisp, white shirt was under a new black blazer, free of blood. He wore no tie, but she could see that he had made extra effort to get these new clothes. She wondered for a moment if he had gone temporarily mad. He slowly sized her up again.

"Money well spent?" She asked boldly, crossing her arms over her chest. He flicked his eyes up to hers, his sheepish smirk creeping across his cheeks.

"Well spent," he echoed. "Shame we can't go out somewhere. We'd make quite the couple." He raised his eyes to the ceiling in thought. "Maybe a new couple on their third or fourth date, going somewhere out of their normal price range just for a night of decadence. Or..." He looked again at Lisa. "Maybe two lovers, spending a night away from their dearly beloveds to have a little fun for once." He raised his eyebrows and his smirk turned into a full-fledged grin.

"Wh-why not go out?" Lisa interjected quickly. He said nothing, which prompted her to continue. "I couldn't make much of a scene in a crowded restaurant, and neither could you. Checkmate."

He seemed to ponder it, then ponder it again. She could feel the inquisitive eyes searching hers for any secret agenda. He shrugged, at last.

"I'd have to blindfold you again, Leese." They met eyes. "But I did say it was a shame, didn't I?"

Lisa rode in the back seat again, where the windows were tinted. Of course, she couldn't tell, because the blindfold was over her eyes again. She was rapidly forming a plan in the back of her head, for escape. But she couldn't shake one nagging, persistent thought.

I wanted it.

Jackson was whistling in the front seat, some tune she recognized but couldn't place. It was a short drive that ended when Jackson shifted the car into park.

"I know you like seafood," he said as he leaned into the backseat to untie her blindfold. She took in her surroundings like a sponge. A nondescript seafood establishment. A plethora of cars. Not one payphone in sight. Jackson opened her car door and quickly seized her arm with his, notching them together at the elbow.

"Oh, look at the adorable young couple," he breathed into her ear as he leaned over her. "They look like they're so in love." They started walking toward the building.

"I don't think you're in love with me, Jackson," she said quietly, turning her face to meet his.

"Hmm," he thought shortly, studying her face with a turn of his lips. "You're probably right." He gazed forward as he opened the door for the both of them. "I've never been in love before. I wouldn't know what it's like."

"Neither have I," Lisa muttered as she looked away.

"All you need to worry about," he said as he tucked a still-damp curl behind her ear, "is that pick-up tomorrow. You let me worry about everything else."

Their conversation was lost in the noise of a busy restaurant at lunchtime. They were seated immediately.

AN: Whoo! I finnaly got this chapter done. I must have re-written it three times or so, then thrown the whole thing out. I'm mostly proud of this one, even though basically all it does is move everyone around. Oh well, everyone's gotta have at least one of those, right? Right? I was overwhelmed by the responses from last chapter, and I think my inbox would have exploded ifI got one more review! I shake every single one of you warmlyby the hand! -does a line of handshakes- So I guess I did something right for once... And now, fo some special announcements:

corinne-la: Ah! Thanks for the Top Ten! "Nice to people when he wants to and not so nice when he gets mad." Ah yes, this is my vision of Jackson completely. Mostly in control of his emotions, but when he's not, watch out, folks! I really liked your top ten. It amused me much and makes me smile when I read it. Thanks!

red hood ninja: This is a time when I'm glad you didn't trust your first instinct too! Chew on your cell phone no longer, friend, for the new chappie is up! I tried to get a feel for what the two would be like after the kiss, but I'm not sure if I captured the right atmosphere. I'm counting on you to reprimand me if I got it wrong! Here, have a package of e-doughnuts. I'm on a diet and I have to give them away. ANYWAY! Thanks for the awesome review, and keep on keepin' on!

EmGee: This may sound strange, but I'm glad I got you hooked. Man, now I sound like a drug dealer. "You got the money? I got the stuff if you got the money. You don't see the stuff until I get the money." And in this scenario, the "stuff" is L/J fluff. I shall keep your undying love in this No-Leak Ziploc container so no love will spill out into my spinach dip. Much love and hugs, and I hope this chapter is enough to bring you back for more!

DarkVerity: It seems a lot of people love me after that chapter... BUT! I know what you mean about re-reading certain parts of a story just to let it soak in. I must have rea the end of this one chapter in the Mary Russell series so many times I have it memorized. I'll jsut say... Hottest... Kiss... Ever... Between... A 21 year old girl... and Sherlock Holmes. Ahem... anyway... yeah... I was a little sad that Jackson didn't just snog her in the end, but it just wasn't in his character... yet... bwahahaha. Help yourself to e-doughnuts, and thank you so much for your review!

SpadesJade: Bwaha. Naughtiness resides in the realm where Jackson is king. I can safely say that's the first time someone's admited my writing gave them chills. But I had soo much fun writing the phone call scene. Jackson can be such a bastard. But a sexy bastard, as Lisa finds out. I hope the update was soon enough that you're still holding on! Ahh! Here, I'll save you with this e-doughnut! -uses doughnut as a floatation device- Thanks so much for your reviews!

Eccentric Banshee: He kissed her! -squee's- I was almost as excited as you were, and I wrote the gall durn thing! As for Christian Bale... Maybe if he aged a decade or two, then he might fit the part well. But I won't ruin your fantasy... Yes... he looks exactly like Christian Bale. I'm glad I have the approval of a criminal mastermind for my little plot-thingie. Bwahaz. Thanks so much for your review. I look forward to them -grins- E-doughnut?

Rashida: "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Mr. Frodo and a handbasket!" Okay, I nearly spit my drink out because I was laughing so hard. I am soo gonna use that expression at some time in my life. I'll wait for just the perfect moment, then BAM! You got served! Oh yeah, review. I leave most o the kiss up to the imaginations of the readers, whic is probably more fun for you -wink wink- Thankee so much for the review! LOVE!

A.R. Bellance: I had a hard time writing that line, too, but I had to have something that kicked Lisa into wanting to cry for help. She's such a sensible girl, you know, what with the stabbing of windpipes with pens. Go random NPCs! I'm hoping to have some fun ones at the restaurant. I have waaaay too much fun with them. I'm glad I have your love too! -keeps a shelf in fridge for Ziploc Bags of love- THANKEE soooo much!

Ayumi Omoide: -hands you back your jaw- Be careful not to lose this, friend! You may need it later, say, for the finale... bwahahah... It's not next chapter, but just a few more and I'll be done. And you are too worthy! -gives you e-doughnut- I love having you as a fan. Your reviews always make me happy and bring a smile to me. Sorry the update took so long, but I only have a computer for half of the week now. Oh well. I'll try very hard to update sooner, just for you. -grins- Much love and appriciation!

Ashley: Bwahaha you know who you are. Your first line cracked me up, friend. I think I woke a child up, but I hid, so it was okay. I'm glad that you think that the kiss was all right. I usually have some problems with the kiss whenever I have to write about it. And as for Lisa's attitude, I like to think that this chapter has her feelings moving like an old saloon door: seesawing back and forth endlessly. Man, do I love my similes. Looking forward to an update of "Conditional" and I'm sure you're already hoping I update soon. Well, let's both get started writing! Ready, set go!

As for everyone else that reviewed: sorry if you don't get a shout-out. They are getting quite long as of late, and I can't talk to everyone I'd like to. If you'd really like to talk to me or ask me any questions, you can e-mail me or IM me if you want. Love, hugs and e-doughnuts all around! Until next time... POOF!