"Pushed To The Edge"
*******************
Scarlett stretched out as she tried to get more comfortable in her seat. These damn military flights made the budget airlines look like first class. She was fairly used to it by now, though these international flights were an exceptional drag. She glanced over at Duke, who looked like he felt right at home. They were en route to Munich, Germany for their first Covert-Ops mission together - just them. Just great, she sighed as she wondered how she was going to survive being alone with the man who invaded her thoughts - and for the next few weeks to boot. Maybe when they met up with the Baroness she would do her a favor and put her out of her misery. A gunshot wound would be less painful than the growing tension between her and Duke. All because of that kiss that happened on their last mission in Jeddah.
That kiss.
Not just "that kiss": that melt-your-flesh-off-your-bones kiss she'd never forget, and not for lack of trying. Of course the tension started ever since she first walked into his office just a few short months ago, but that kiss sent them both running for cover and they had successfully avoided being around each other for the last few weeks - that is until Hawk assigned their new mission together.
No problem, right? Okay maybe not, but they were professionals, she reminded herself. Grin and bear it. Just get the information and evidence and get out. Only one weapons supplier could produce the kind of state-of- the-art weaponries that were indicated on Cobra's seized computers: MARS - Military Armaments Research Syndicate, headed by James McCullen Destro XXIV. The Baroness was their link to Destro. The two had been romantically involved, among other things.
And just to make matters even tenser they were posing as a husband and wife team looking for a weapons manufacturer for these particular types of weaponries to arm their soldiers protecting their drug manufacturing laboratories, with the hopes that Baroness would lead them to Destro. Apparently they were the natural choice for this mission because of Duke's fluency in the German language, among many other languages, and Scarlett being the only female on the team to choose from. Scarlett looked over at the blonde Master Sergeant, who was quietly looking over the MARS file. He looked up at her, catching her gaze then smiled out of the corner of his mouth and looked back down at his file.
They'd have to be convincing. Sigh.
*******************
Scarlett styled her hair and applied her make-up in her hotel room bathroom to get ready for their dinner meeting with the Baroness in the hotel restaurant. No ponytail for this mission, she mused as she adjusted her black matte jersey wraparound dress. She breathed deeply as she tried to calm her racing nerves before Duke stopped by to escort her to their dinner date downstairs. She wished she wasn't so disturbed by their situation; it was too "close" for her. But it was nobody's fault, that was just the way it was and she had a job to do, she told herself. Just because she was drawn to him didn't mean that she had to follow through with her growing feelings for the young leader. Not that he was actually that young, but he was relatively young for his rank and position - not young compared to her age of twenty-five since he was in his early thirties. He had excelled like some prodigy soldier in his military career, soaring through the ranks and leadership positions - just one more aspect of him to intrigue her. The slight age difference didn't bother her - but then again why should it since this couldn't happen, right? She almost dropped her perfume bottle on the marble tile floor when she heard the rapping on her door. Scarlett closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Showtime."
*******************
Duke escorted Scarlett from her room to the hotel restaurant, trying not to trace the plunging V-shaped neckline of her dress with his eyes as they stood in the elevator. Scarlett glanced at the gold phony wedding bands on their fingers. Well this is weird, she thought as she winced at her ugly band - Ulgh, who picked this thing? She already couldn't wait to rip it off her hand; she felt as if it was taunting her and her feelings for Duke, even if it was just an ugly piece of jewelry. Before they stepped off of the elevator Duke offered his arm for her to take, then looked at her with a slighted expression and leaned over to bring his lips next to her ear.
"You know, nobody's going to believe we even like each other let alone be married if you act like I have Leprosy," he stated in a hushed tone. Scarlett's expression fell in response to his statement. She hadn't even realized that she had hesitated to take his arm.
"Who said all married couples actually like each other?" She asked sarcastically as she looped her arm through his.
"Speak for yourself, baby," he smugly stated as they stepped off the elevator. She turned and looked at him in disbelief as they continued to walk together.
"Did you just call me 'Baby'?" She asked in an appalled tone.
"Abso-fucking-lutely - Baby." He smirked at her as her eyes narrowed on him.
"Whatever. See if YOU get any tonight - Baby," she retorted as she turned to face forward again.
"See that? We're acting like a married couple already," he chuckled. Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I saw that," he said dryly. Scarlett let out a tiny laugh in response.
"Darlings! How good of you to join me," Baroness greeted them in her smug eastern European accent when they approached her table in the restaurant.
"Baroness DeCobray, it's a pleasure," Duke smoothly greeted the raven- haired beauty. "Ryan Chandler. This is my wife Kitty."
"We've heard so much about you," Scarlett gushed. "You're a legend in our circles."
"Sit. Have some fabulous champagne with me," Baroness insisted as she snapped for the waiter to pour glasses for her guests as Duke helped Scarlett into her chair.
"Oh no thanks we - ," Duke started to turn her down as he took his seat.
"But I'd love to! Thank you!" Scarlett interrupted him. Duke glared at her disapprovingly and she kicked him under the table. She had a feeling the Baroness was testing them to see if they would turn away alcohol for being on duty. She didn't mind the idea of a little drink taking the edge off the tension either.
"You're sure?" Baroness asked her skeptically. Scarlett leaned into the table towards the Baroness and lowered her voice as if to exclude Duke from their conversation.
"Oh don't mind him," Scarlett reassured her, "Champagne gives him, um, 'problems' later. Lets just say he can't get his transmission out of neutral - if you know what I mean. He takes it SO personally." Duke kicked Scarlett under the table. Ow! She bit her lower lip to keep from wincing at his boot's hit against her bare leg as she thought, do it again and he'll have a stiletto heel in his groin.
"Hmph, my condolences." Baroness let out a subtle laugh as she tilted her champagne flute to her lips. Over dinner and drinks the Baroness discussed the various state-of-the-art weaponries available to them for the right price. Then the band started playing in the lounge.
"Ooh honey I love this song! Come on!" Scarlett exclaimed as she stood up from the table and yanked on Duke's arm. Duke let out a soft chuckle.
"You'll have to excuse us, Baroness. Kitty always has to drag me into at least one dance in the lounge or it isn't a successful day for her. Guess that's the price you pay for taking a wife almost a decade your junior," Duke excused himself, taking Scarlett's cue to go with her to the lounge's dance floor so they could discuss the Baroness.
Baroness watched them from her table as they swayed lightly on the dance floor, carefully observing how they laughed and smiled brightly and gazed over each other, how Scarlett lay her head on Duke's shoulder, how Duke closed his eyes as he smelled the scent of Scarlett's flowing mane right under his face. Baroness nodded and smiled pleasantly towards them.
"Fools," Baroness muttered as she sipped her champagne. "Just fuck each other and get it over with."
*******************
*******************
Scarlett stretched out as she tried to get more comfortable in her seat. These damn military flights made the budget airlines look like first class. She was fairly used to it by now, though these international flights were an exceptional drag. She glanced over at Duke, who looked like he felt right at home. They were en route to Munich, Germany for their first Covert-Ops mission together - just them. Just great, she sighed as she wondered how she was going to survive being alone with the man who invaded her thoughts - and for the next few weeks to boot. Maybe when they met up with the Baroness she would do her a favor and put her out of her misery. A gunshot wound would be less painful than the growing tension between her and Duke. All because of that kiss that happened on their last mission in Jeddah.
That kiss.
Not just "that kiss": that melt-your-flesh-off-your-bones kiss she'd never forget, and not for lack of trying. Of course the tension started ever since she first walked into his office just a few short months ago, but that kiss sent them both running for cover and they had successfully avoided being around each other for the last few weeks - that is until Hawk assigned their new mission together.
No problem, right? Okay maybe not, but they were professionals, she reminded herself. Grin and bear it. Just get the information and evidence and get out. Only one weapons supplier could produce the kind of state-of- the-art weaponries that were indicated on Cobra's seized computers: MARS - Military Armaments Research Syndicate, headed by James McCullen Destro XXIV. The Baroness was their link to Destro. The two had been romantically involved, among other things.
And just to make matters even tenser they were posing as a husband and wife team looking for a weapons manufacturer for these particular types of weaponries to arm their soldiers protecting their drug manufacturing laboratories, with the hopes that Baroness would lead them to Destro. Apparently they were the natural choice for this mission because of Duke's fluency in the German language, among many other languages, and Scarlett being the only female on the team to choose from. Scarlett looked over at the blonde Master Sergeant, who was quietly looking over the MARS file. He looked up at her, catching her gaze then smiled out of the corner of his mouth and looked back down at his file.
They'd have to be convincing. Sigh.
*******************
Scarlett styled her hair and applied her make-up in her hotel room bathroom to get ready for their dinner meeting with the Baroness in the hotel restaurant. No ponytail for this mission, she mused as she adjusted her black matte jersey wraparound dress. She breathed deeply as she tried to calm her racing nerves before Duke stopped by to escort her to their dinner date downstairs. She wished she wasn't so disturbed by their situation; it was too "close" for her. But it was nobody's fault, that was just the way it was and she had a job to do, she told herself. Just because she was drawn to him didn't mean that she had to follow through with her growing feelings for the young leader. Not that he was actually that young, but he was relatively young for his rank and position - not young compared to her age of twenty-five since he was in his early thirties. He had excelled like some prodigy soldier in his military career, soaring through the ranks and leadership positions - just one more aspect of him to intrigue her. The slight age difference didn't bother her - but then again why should it since this couldn't happen, right? She almost dropped her perfume bottle on the marble tile floor when she heard the rapping on her door. Scarlett closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Showtime."
*******************
Duke escorted Scarlett from her room to the hotel restaurant, trying not to trace the plunging V-shaped neckline of her dress with his eyes as they stood in the elevator. Scarlett glanced at the gold phony wedding bands on their fingers. Well this is weird, she thought as she winced at her ugly band - Ulgh, who picked this thing? She already couldn't wait to rip it off her hand; she felt as if it was taunting her and her feelings for Duke, even if it was just an ugly piece of jewelry. Before they stepped off of the elevator Duke offered his arm for her to take, then looked at her with a slighted expression and leaned over to bring his lips next to her ear.
"You know, nobody's going to believe we even like each other let alone be married if you act like I have Leprosy," he stated in a hushed tone. Scarlett's expression fell in response to his statement. She hadn't even realized that she had hesitated to take his arm.
"Who said all married couples actually like each other?" She asked sarcastically as she looped her arm through his.
"Speak for yourself, baby," he smugly stated as they stepped off the elevator. She turned and looked at him in disbelief as they continued to walk together.
"Did you just call me 'Baby'?" She asked in an appalled tone.
"Abso-fucking-lutely - Baby." He smirked at her as her eyes narrowed on him.
"Whatever. See if YOU get any tonight - Baby," she retorted as she turned to face forward again.
"See that? We're acting like a married couple already," he chuckled. Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I saw that," he said dryly. Scarlett let out a tiny laugh in response.
"Darlings! How good of you to join me," Baroness greeted them in her smug eastern European accent when they approached her table in the restaurant.
"Baroness DeCobray, it's a pleasure," Duke smoothly greeted the raven- haired beauty. "Ryan Chandler. This is my wife Kitty."
"We've heard so much about you," Scarlett gushed. "You're a legend in our circles."
"Sit. Have some fabulous champagne with me," Baroness insisted as she snapped for the waiter to pour glasses for her guests as Duke helped Scarlett into her chair.
"Oh no thanks we - ," Duke started to turn her down as he took his seat.
"But I'd love to! Thank you!" Scarlett interrupted him. Duke glared at her disapprovingly and she kicked him under the table. She had a feeling the Baroness was testing them to see if they would turn away alcohol for being on duty. She didn't mind the idea of a little drink taking the edge off the tension either.
"You're sure?" Baroness asked her skeptically. Scarlett leaned into the table towards the Baroness and lowered her voice as if to exclude Duke from their conversation.
"Oh don't mind him," Scarlett reassured her, "Champagne gives him, um, 'problems' later. Lets just say he can't get his transmission out of neutral - if you know what I mean. He takes it SO personally." Duke kicked Scarlett under the table. Ow! She bit her lower lip to keep from wincing at his boot's hit against her bare leg as she thought, do it again and he'll have a stiletto heel in his groin.
"Hmph, my condolences." Baroness let out a subtle laugh as she tilted her champagne flute to her lips. Over dinner and drinks the Baroness discussed the various state-of-the-art weaponries available to them for the right price. Then the band started playing in the lounge.
"Ooh honey I love this song! Come on!" Scarlett exclaimed as she stood up from the table and yanked on Duke's arm. Duke let out a soft chuckle.
"You'll have to excuse us, Baroness. Kitty always has to drag me into at least one dance in the lounge or it isn't a successful day for her. Guess that's the price you pay for taking a wife almost a decade your junior," Duke excused himself, taking Scarlett's cue to go with her to the lounge's dance floor so they could discuss the Baroness.
Baroness watched them from her table as they swayed lightly on the dance floor, carefully observing how they laughed and smiled brightly and gazed over each other, how Scarlett lay her head on Duke's shoulder, how Duke closed his eyes as he smelled the scent of Scarlett's flowing mane right under his face. Baroness nodded and smiled pleasantly towards them.
"Fools," Baroness muttered as she sipped her champagne. "Just fuck each other and get it over with."
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