A/N I do not own these characters. If I did I would be fabulously wealthy and wouldn't need to post my fan fiction here. I would be writing for the show and dining regularly with Michael Easton (Snicker perks of the job. LOL) and I wouldn't let that hack Higley near them.

Chapter 3

"John McBain. FBI" John said placidly. "You're Natalie Balsom I take it."

At the words FBI Natalie froze and turned pale, those three letters sending a shaft of fear straight through her. Thinking quickly she spun around and raced for the bathroom. Slamming the door before John could reach her she raced to the window and threw it open. Grabbing her bag from the bathroom floor she tossed it out the window.

John jumped up from the bed the minute she sprinted to the bathroom. Getting there just as she slammed the door in his face he cursed at himself for even giving her the opportunity to get away. Knocking hard on the door he yelled through, "Come on Miss Balsom open up. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

Not hearing anything he tried the knob. It was locked. Taking a deep breath he said, "Open the door or I'll kick it in" he called through the door. When nothing happened he braced himself and placed a hard kick on the door. It flew open and he looked around. "Fuck," he muttered to himself, Natalie was nowhere in sight and the window was wide open. Spinning around quickly he raced for the front door, and the parking lot.

Natalie raced around the building to the lot where her car was. Holding her bad tightly and her keys in her other hand she ran to her car and threw open the door. "Ahhh," she squealed as a hand grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip. As the hand spun her around he found herself looking to a pair of gorgeous blue eyes, very angry gorgeous blue eyes. Looking at his hand on her arm then back up to his angry face Natalie suppressed a shudder.

Her arm burned where he was touching her and Natalie was ashamed to admit to herself that it wasn't a bad burn at all. Pushing away her unwanted attraction to him, as slight as it was, she tried to yank her arm away. "Let me go!" She demanded.

When John saw Natalie trying to jump in her car he hadn't stopped to think. He simply reacted and grabbed her and spun her around. His fingers tingled on her flesh and sent a shaft of lust straight to his groin when he saw her robe had come open a bit and was revealing her skimpy tank top she wore. Swearing under his breath at his body's unwelcome reaction he struggled to get him self under control before he did something stupid, like kiss her senseless.

Her angry demand brought him back to his senses and he growled, "No, I need to ask you a few questions, can't have you running away again."

Natalie struggled a bit more then, when it became obvious that he was much stronger, she stopped. Determined to wait for another opening to get away from him she simply looked at him with hostile eyes.

"Come on," John said pulling her along with him back to the room. He felt bad for treating her like this then remembered why he was here in the first place. He hardened his heart and pushed away any tenderness he had been harboring for her.

Natalie was mad, more at herself then at the agent sent to get her. She was ferrous that she had been caught so quickly that she had been completely off guard. Following him into the room, albeit unwillingly, and to the bed. Fear began to seep in at this new twist; did he mean to rape her? She began to struggle as he pushed her down on the bed, "No!" she said.

John saw her fear and his heart gave a little tug. Steeling himself he simply took out his cuffs and slipped one around her wrist and the other around the bedpost. Stepping back he said," Can't have you running away again before we have a chance to talk."

Shocked he had not done more then cuff her but still scared that he might Natalie glared at him with a false bravado. "Is this how you get people to talk? What are you gonna do keep me like this till I spill? Or are you going to rape me now that I can't get away?" She spat the questions at him, her voice filled with contempt. Cops! They were all the same. They simply took what they wanted cause they had all the power.

John was shocked at the venom in her voice, at the contempt she had for cops. Clearly someone had taken advantage of her. Determined not to be swayed he simply said, "I just want to ask you a few questions. I would have had to restrain you if you hadn't run. You are in some serious trouble. Do you know that? A man is dead and you're the last person to see him alive."

Natalie struggled with the cuffs a bit more then looked at him, glaring. "Un-cuff me and I'll tell you anything you want to know," she lied. No way was she spilling anything to this bastard. He would lock her up and probably jam the needle in her arm himself.

John smiled at her attempt to get free. He was certain the moment he took those cuffs off her she would bolt for the door. Besides she looked good sitting on that bed with her robe gaping open and her hair a mess. "Where the hell did that come from?" John thought to himself as he got a little excited by the thought. This was so unlike him to behave so with a suspect, especially a murder suspect. Trying to shake off the embarrassing and very inappropriate reaction to her he simply said, "No."

Seeing his unwanted reaction to her Natalie got an idea. Deciding to use his obvious attraction to her to her advantage she lowered her voice to a seductive level and said huskily, "Please? These cuffs are tight and they're hurting my wrist." Looking into his eyes and pretending to be helpless she was surprised when a sliver of awareness went through her. He had the most beautiful eyes she thought to herself absently before clamping down on those silly notions. She couldn't afford to be attracted to him, not with her life on the line here.

Knowing what she was doing didn't stop his body from responding to her husky words. His groin tightened and he had to clench his hands against the desire that hit him but he stayed where he was. "Sorry," he got out his voice noticeably lower then it had been a moment ago.

Natalie suppressed a smile of triumph. She was getting to him; she knew it. Nearly laughing she decided to up the anti a bit and swung her legs on the bed and stretched as if to get rid of a cramp. The action arched her back and the robe fell further away from her breasts leaving her with only the skimpy tanktop as cover. Pushing her chest out as much as possible she was rewarded when John's mouth parted and his eyes locked on her chest. She could see his face darken with hunger and his breathing quickened but still he didn't move towards her.

He knew what she was doing and it was working, desire slammed him and he was frozen to the spot. Knowing that Natalie was wanted for questioning in a homicide did nothing to put out the desire he was feeling for her. "Stop it. Its not gonna work. I'm not letting you out of those cuffs." He ground out through clenched teeth.

Natalie pouted sexily at him, "But my wrist really hurts," she said. "Can you just loosen them up a bit?"

John sighed and braced himself against the want he was still trying to get under control. "Fine," he said with resignation.

Getting up he went over to her and leaned over her a bit to look at her wrist. Seeing that it was indeed red from the cuffs he took her wrist in a firm grip, ignoring the heat that pulsed up his arm. He un-cuffed her then re-cuffed her only leaving the cuffs a bit looser.

Natalie signed in relief and watched with interest as he stuck the key in his jacket pocket. A plan began to form. She needed that key!

As he started to straighten up John made the mistake of looking into her eyes. Caught in her stare he lost himself in her eyes. Feeling like he was staring into an endless ocean of blue Johns breathing hitched and backed up in his throat. With out even realizing it he leaned forward a bit and lightly brushed her lips with his own. Fire shot through him but he was brought to his senses by her hard push against his midsection.

The minute he began to lean forward Natalie knew that this was her chance to get away. She hadn't expected the heat the scorched her as his lips brushed hers. Quickly regaining her composure she slipped her hand and grabbed the key from his pocket and gave him a hard shove to mask her movement.

John was breathing heavy and very embarrassed. He backed up quickly and blurted out, "I'm sorry," then whipped around and headed to the bathroom to get a grip on his wayward hormones. When he came back out of the bathroom ten minutes later Natalie was gone. Running to the door and flinging it open, "God Damn it Natalie!" he said grabbing his stuff he ran to his car only to see that she had put a knife in the front driver side tire. Letting loose another curse he set to changing the tire.

To be continued………