Hey there, dear readers! While processing the next chapter for 'Masks', I thought I'd share with you this Batcat one shot I wrote a while ago! Inspired by a very old fanfic whose name I don't recall, this is a rated M piece with sexual content and some action of the mild kind. It's AU but as always I tried to stay true to the characters while shedding light to less seen sides of them (especially regarding Bruce). Please let me know what you think in a review, even a one-word one! Enjoy!
"Payback Time"
Wayne Manor
There was a party going on in the ballroom, a ridiculous event that Natalie Brown had insisted on having now that her company and Wayne Enterprises were officially partners. Natalie was CEO of Brown Buildings Inc., a newly founded construction company located in Metropolis that was looking to expand its business in Gotham. Wayne Enterprises, owing to its newly created program of taking in small companies and helping them grow, agreed to take Brown Buildings Inc. under its wings. To say the young bombshell CEO was excited would be the understatement of the year. She was bombarding Bruce with emails for weeks, long before they had finalised the deal, begging him to agree on hosting a ball in honour of "the greatest deal in history". He'd let her do whatever she wanted as long as she didn't harass him any further. He had even offered to host the party at his manor, in hopes of saving his ears some nagging regarding the location.
Mostly, he assumed, the guest list consisted of board members, CEOs and shareholders of other big companies. He didn't really care. Bruce Wayne never fancied such occasions. Putting on his Sunday clothes and flashing smiles to potential business partners was a pathetic way to spend his time. He had way better things to do.
Excusing himself with a dashing fake smile, he walked away from a red-head executive assistant of a company whose name he never bothered remember, and headed to the empty hall leading to the second floor. He needed a way out of there. He almost wished the Joker escaped Arkham so that he could have an urgent reason to leave this joke of an event. But Dick and Damian were covering for him on patrol tonight and based on the update he received on his phone a few minutes ago, the streets were surprisingly quiet but for a few punks messing around. He looked down at his watch. 8:33pm. Still early and no opportunities in the horizon. Someone up there really hated him.
Sighing, he ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair and was about to yank off his tie when a click fluttered into his hearing. Like with any event arriving at the manor, all security alarms were deactivated so that they wouldn't be triggered by any drunken guests who forgot themselves in their alcohol-filled hazes and moved upstairs. To make up for the temporary lack of technological security, hired bodyguards were in position to ward off any unwanted presence.
Hastily calling Alfred, he told him that should anyone ask for him, he had to make an urgent call and would be back shortly. Alfred, knowing well, did not ask further. He really deserved a raise.
The sound came from his study, first door to the left after climbing the stairway. He slowly walked up the stairs and stood outside the wooden door. His ears tensed at the quiet sound of something landing on his cherry wood floors, an unfamiliar presence settling into his home and he wondered who would dare. He was Batman and while that fact was secret, he was still one of the most powerful men in the world - a Wayne with more than enough talents and assets to dispose of any unwelcome company if need be.
Opening the door quietly, he glimpsed at a female form in black from head to toe, lingering in front of the enormous family portrait above the fireplace. One of the windows was ajar and a gentle breeze blew through the opening. A smirk slid into place. Not exactly the case he'd hoped for, but a pleasant distraction nonetheless.
"I believe the front door would suffice."
Her neck tensed at the sound of his voice, but he knew she was expecting him. That observation amused him as he approached from behind, mouth lingering a bit next to her ear. She smelled like all the good sinful things in the world. "I'd hate to disappoint, Ms Kyle, but unfortunately, I have nothing of value for you."
She turned around, her mask making her jade eyes and red painted lips stand out. "Hmm," she hummed, before tapping a finger at her chin and she didn't fail to see his eyes following the movement. "I would disagree, Mr. Wayne. I believe you've taken something of mine and I'd like it back, if you please." She held a hand out and he arched an eyebrow, amused.
"You're going to have to be more specific. I own many things." He felt the music from the party tremble through the floors and he was well aware that whatever happened at the moment, no one but they would know. It was too loud, too distracting for anyone else to infiltrate what was currently a world of their own.
Selina laughed lightly, almost mockingly, before gesturing at the safe they both knew was behind the painting with a nod. "You know exactly what you took."
"Even if I had taken something, you really think I would put it there? To the most obvious place for a thief to look at? That vault is merely a distraction." He leaned in closer and she could feel his hot breath against her face. "I thought you knew better than that." he whispered, resisting the urge to brush her lips with his.
"The best hiding spot is in plain sight, Mr Wayne." She smirked knowingly and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll give you a hint. It has a shiny green cat on it. Obviously." She rolled her eyes and looked at him expectantly. Bruce grinned and buttoning the lower half of his suit jacket, he walked over to his desk. Reaching into the bottom drawer that opened with a fingerprint scanner, he pulled a necklace with a jade pendant in the shape of a cat.
Gotham's museum annual auction took place a couple of nights ago and all of Gotham's finest had gathered, eager to show off their riches and exchange the content of their hefty wallets with fancy priceless antiques. The feline-themed piece of jewellery was the highlight of the evening and was expected to fetch a price of at least nine zeros. It also happened to have been on top of a certain cat-burglar's agenda. Although he hadn't been able to figure out her plan exactly, Bruce was positive that his unexpected turning up at the event as an esteemed member of Gotham's crème de la crème would spoil it. As foreseen, Selina was rather exasperated by the fact that not only was she taken aback by his unforeseeable – because everyone knew how the Wayne descendant avoided such gatherings – presence, but also her plan fell completely through when Bruce Wayne himself gave away gazillions of dollars to earn the very necklace that marked her objective for that night.
Revenge had never seemed more tempting.
"If you're referring to this, I am positive I earned it. Fair and square." He stated, walking back to her, his eyes caught in an enthralling trance by the dim light bouncing off the pretty stone.
"Maybe. But you only did it to get to me. You don't really want it. So give it up, handsome." She scoffed, before making a reach for it, but he snatched it out of her way, shoving it into the pocket of his jacket. "Oh, please. Let's not play games, Mr. Wayne. Give it back and things won't get…" She paused, eyes casually sweeping the length of the room, before smiling. "Messy." He shrugged, unconcerned, shoving his free hand into the empty pocket.
Game on.
Selina made another swipe, lunging forward, but he quickly ducked out of her way, grabbing her wrist and spinning her around with his arm across her neck. "How about I give to you and you give up stealing?" he breathed, his inner self laughing, for he knew very well what he'd asked her. She jabbed him in the ribs in response and he groaned, losing his grip on her as she circled him.
"You still think so high of me?" She smirked, unrepentant. "I'm touched, Bruce."
Bruce's brows knitted together, trying for a moment to discern whether she meant it or not. Then he decided he really didn't care as he dodged a kick and made a move to throw a punch, but she kicked him in the knee, her heel digging into his skin, and he buckled under the pain with a rough grunt. When they fought - whether in battle or in bed - God forbid either of them held back. It was a rough game that both pushed their buttons and turned them on.
"Give me the necklace, Mr. Wayne." she murmured as she kneeled down and held his arm behind him, her foot firmly on his back. "It'd be a shame to see such a handsome face exposed."
He exhaled slowly, trying to cool down the adrenaline rush that had come flooding in from all directions. He started twitching to regain the upper hand, if only for his pride as a master of martial arts. "Care to elaborate?" He asked before taking in a sharp breath after she tightened her hold.
"Wouldn't the press have such a field day," she began and he could imagine the Cheshire grin on her face, pleased and catlike and sexy as hell, "if they knew that playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne is actually the—"
She was cut off when he threw her off, taking her by surprise and twisting out of her grip. He regained his footing, rotating his neck into a satisfying crack. They eyed each other as they circled and his mind pulled up the thrilling memory of when they last encountered each other on the roof of the Gotham museum later the night after the auction. It turned out the way many of their meetings did, with them panting heavily before parting ways, one feeling smug and confident and the other outsmarted and thirsty for payback. Last time he had outsmarted her. Was it her turn tonight?
She was probably the longest relationship - for lack of a better word - he'd ever had with a woman and the basis of their courtship was entirely on the fact that they would chase each other, a playful game of cat and mouse -or rather, flying rat. He wasn't really sure when he lost his mind and started finding her as more than a brief professional acquaintance - if one could call it that - and more as an intriguing, beautiful woman with an affinity for cats and shiny, lavish objects. Somewhere along their trysts, he'd discovered far more than he bargained for from a sly thief.
Concerning, to say the least.
He waited for her move before "ladies first". She knew his method anyway, just as well as he knew hers. She headed for his jugular, before cutting a swift kick at his ankles, but he managed to avoid her attacks, before catching her flying fist in one hand and wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her up against him.
"Most people would call this sexual harassment," Selina quipped, forest eyes glittering, her chest heaving up and down from the exhilaration and just for a split second, his eyes travelled down to the inviting cleavage showing out of her suit.
"Says the criminal." Bruce smirked knowingly. "Besides, they're not us, are they?"
She shrugged, making a noise of agreement, before her free hand reached for his head and yanked him down to her lips. An explosion set off instantly, setting his already heightened senses on fire and everything inside him roared to life. Even in kisses, they were arguing, fighting each other for dominance. Besides, it was so much more enjoyable that way as he nipped her lips, wordlessly demanding more. She parted her teeth, letting him invade her mouth in the most delicious way.
Bruce backed her up against the floor-to-length bookcase, ignoring the way they slammed into it and knocked over an antique vase. She smiled against his lips, fully aware of the shattered porcelain beside her boots. "I hope that wasn't too important." she chuckled as her fingers dug into his black hair, before a gasp escaped her mouth. He nipped her skin, tracing the line of her jaw and down her throat, pressing kisses on every bit of skin he could reach above her tight bodysuit.
"Not as important as this." He growled, before claiming her lips again and she gave just as good as she got, ardently throwing herself into it, hard and fast, and god, did he want more. He desperately needed more of her as she ran her hands all over his nape and back, nails scratching over his shoulder blades, gripping and urging.
When Bruce started kissing lower, she twisted out of his arms and flashed a mischievous wink. Turning on her heel, she started to back away, towards the en-suite living room of his office. Just before the doorway, she turned around and unfastened the whip from around her waist, letting it drop to the floor with a thud. Finding the zipper to her suit, she lowered it down her navel. To his supreme disappointment, it didn't reveal much of anything but a teasing peek of almost. Turning her back to him, Selina took her cowl and goggles off as she glanced over her shoulder before pushing the fabric off her shoulders, exposing the smooth flesh of her back to his eyes. "Well?"
Bruce crossed the room in long strides and before she could tease him any further, he grabbed her waist and pushed her into the room, mouth finding hers as they drowned in their kisses. Desire swirled in her eyes as he pressed her onto the giant sofa and took off her knee-high boots, throwing them over his shoulder, knowingly mindful of the knives tucked inside and in the heels, even though she rarely used them. Whipping was more her style. Did she know how sexy that was? Probably.
His fingers reached up to grab the fabric that had pooled at her slim waist, and pulled it all the way down, until all the pale skin he'd wanted to see since she climbed through his window - since last time - was finally revealed. A disturbingly welcome, heavy weight settled across his chest as she shifted out of the leather until all that was left were her underwear. Dammit.
Eyeing him up and down, she raised a fine brow, before capturing his lips in a long, heated kiss that had his hands roaming all over her body, trying to relieve the tension deep in his bones. "Someone's overdressed for the occasion." She whispered before tugging off his tie and shoving off his suit jacket, the necklace in the pocket hitting the floor with a muffled 'thud' that they both ignored – for now.
"Natalie assured me that my attire was perfect for tonight's events." he smirked as her eyes narrowed, a spark of jealousy making itself known. Not that she would admit to it.
"The builder from Metropolis?" She muttered as she watched him take his time to unbutton his shirt, agitated both by his tortuously slow striptease and his mentioning of a woman that was obviously after the man in front of her.
"CEO with a B.A. in Architecture." He corrected and relished how she rolled her eyes at him, before tearing the rest of his shirt's buttons apart.
"I am so not in the mood to talk about another woman right now." she growled, before running her hands over his taut abdomen, deliberately digging her nails into his skin, causing him to hiss.
"Jealous much?" he chuckled and lifted her up, her legs instinctively coming around his waist and she pushed the shirt completely off his body.
"Talkative much? What's gotten you in such a mood?" Selina inquired as she left a trail of hot kisses from his collarbone to his ear.
"It's a quiet night in Gotham," he started and turned his face to meet hers, "and you're here."
"Then treat me like a proper host would." She demanded, taking his face in her hands and crushing his lips with hers. Bruce moaned in delight as he stepped away from the sofa and towards the door across the room, on the other side of which a bedroom was waiting for them. Living in a manor had more perks than he often realised.
Kicking the door open, he walked over to the king-sized bed and dropped her on the soft mattress with a comfortable thud. He grinned devilishly when she yelped in surprise, before he kicked off his shoes and followed her onto the bed. His mouth fell lower across her chest, enjoying the blush that danced across her skin, and his tongue swirled a shiny trail in the valley between her breasts.
His fingers made quick work of the front clasp of her bra and as his mouth favoured one breast, his fingers paid sweet homage to the other. To his satisfaction, her moans soon filled the formerly quiet atmosphere of the room. His teeth encircled a dusky pink nipple and he sucked it, before biting none-too-gently. Her spine arched upward, her hands pulling on his hair and she gasped when he mouthed her entire breast.
A path of kisses moved south as he inhaled her in. She smelled and looked as beautiful as he remembered. His lips left marks, evidence of his lust, sucking and nipping where they both wanted, and she sighed under all his attention. Bruce didn't miss how she was twitching for more and her eagerness was apparent by the way her feet successfully pushed down his pants. Smiling against the curve of her hip, he kicked off his boxers.
Bruce's fingers trailed from her breast to her lower region and pushed away the skimp of lace between her legs, making way for his long finger to smoothly slide in, her hips sharply rising off the bed at the sudden invasion. Her eyes fluttered shut and her mouth was pressed tightly to keep in the sounds. He reached up to kiss her, parting her lips with his demanding tongue, urging her to make as much noise as she wanted. He moved in and out, her slick heat surrounding him, inviting him in as he added another finger and another and she lurched up, unable to control herself anymore, resulting in a string of curses escaping her mouth. Fuck.
He peppered her torso with open-mouthed kisses and took his time, lips lingering on her hips. When his mouth eventually replaced his fingers, she bucked up in a full-fledged scream that rang in his ears as his teeth nibbled on her clit, tongue diving in. Thankful to Natalie for the loud music downstairs, he kept lapping her up and she squirmed, breathless and in the throes of pleasure and he'd never seen anything more beautiful.
She clutched at his head, pleading in messy sounds for release and he kept going, driving in and out, turning her into a puddle of numb limbs and sweet gasps, taking everything her body had to offer. She was on the verge of climaxing as his hands gripped her ass, pulling her forward to nip her gently, before licking all around her swollen skin.
"Bat-" she came with a breathless gasp, sharp and wild, and he relentlessly kept going, letting her ride out the orgasm. She held on to him for dear life, her nails digging into his hair, messing it up, but he could give less of a damn as he watched her through to the end.
Within seconds, he had her nudged higher on the bed and lined himself up at her entrance, cock hard and unbelievably ready, twitching even. There was a burgeoning ache at the pit of his stomach for something only she could satisfy. She looked up at him and tugged him down for a soul kiss as he slid right into her channel and they both groaned at the joining.
If it didn't sound so darn corny, he would remark on how perfectly fit they were for each other, but he had better things to do than be a lame romantic and her wet core was so, so tight and hot and ready for him. He could feel her muscles tightening around him and welcoming him in deeper and he exploited her hospitality, plunging forward, lengthening his thrusts into a steady pace as she moaned under him, lifting her hips to meet his, heels running up and down his calves.
Pleasure burned in his veins and it occurred to him how much he had missed this – missed her - while his heavy breaths echoed hers in between moans and curses of utmost pleasure. Her lips caught his once again in a fevered kiss just as his speed picked up, heat evolving into flames between their flushed bodies, and his hands tightly squeezed her soft thighs, bruising her skin, marking her his own, as she did the same, nails scratching over his scarred back.
She jerked up, crying out when he hit that particular spot that pushed her to the limit and he knew, knew very well how close she was. Determination dove into his blood, strengthening him to surge into her as he lifted her legs over his shoulders for a better, deeper angle. She panted for air, her fingers squeezing the bedsheets underneath as she tried to hold onto something, anything.
His mouth found her neck and he sucked the sensitive area, savouring it with his tongue as her whimpers dropped into his ears. Suddenly, white burst into his shut eyes at the same time as she screamed, her body stretching up into an admirable arc. She wrapped herself completely around him, her breasts rubbing against his tough torso.
"Cat." he exhaled into her neck, her heat embracing him as she tried to drag their orgasms out, squeezing him for all he was worth. He continued slowly pushing in and out, intent on letting the pleasure linger for as long as possible. The burning in his body wasn't quite gone, but the satisfaction that followed was nothing but pure bliss.
Finally, his thrusts came to a halt and he gently collapsed on top of her. She hummed a sigh of contentment, pleased as can be. He pulled out of her and wearily lifted himself up on one arm, staring down at her. Bright green eyes watched him just the same and there was a playful smile on her face as she pushed some of the sweaty dark strands away from his forehead. "You gave quite a performance, Mr Wayne." She admitted, biting her bottom lip.
His dick twitched at the way her teeth gently dug into the sinfully gorgeous flesh of her lip and he had to keep himself from going down on her once again. "It takes two to tango." he half-smirked at her, absent-minded fingers tracing the lines of her collarbone.
Taking him by surprise, she rolled them over, straddling his hips. She grabbed his hands and pinned them over his head. Previous men in the past would feel intimidated when she'd take control in bed. But not Bruce. Bruce was anything but intimidated. He was even challenging her, his icy blue eyes boring holes in hers, provoking her, daring her to do her worst. "Perhaps I should take the lead now." She leaned in and licked his parted lips, moving across his strong jaw and eventually nibbling on his earlobe. "Or not." She pulled away and climbed off him.
Bruce wasn't surprised. It wasn't the first time she had tried leaving him hanging. Chuckling, he got off the bed and grabbed her by the wrist before she got too far, pulling her towards him, her back against his strong chest, his hard erection pressing against the soft skin of her round butt cheeks.
"Leaving so soon?" he teased, his nose brushing against the nape of her neck. She tried, really tried, but failed to suppress a sigh that escaped her as his breath against her skin made her nerves go spiralling.
"I got what I wanted." She replied confidently. Bruce chuckled and the sound vibrated in her chest and, shit, she wanted him to take her against the wall, but no. Selina Kyle never begged for anything.
"Did you now?" Through the open door, his eyes caught sight of his discarded jacket and he nodded his head towards it, knowing she was looking in the same direction. "It's right there, in that pocket. If you really wanted it, you would have already gotten it." he pointed out, his fingers caressing her side before reaching between her legs. "Unless..." he ran a lazy finger over her clit, eliciting a dangerous grunt from her, "...that's not what you came here for tonight." He suggested, his teeth grazing her shoulder, causing her body to stiffen and he knew he had gotten under her skin, just like she had.
"Don't flatter yourself." she turned in his arms and pushed him onto the bed, crawling over him as she took his shaft in her hand, rubbing her thumb over the tip. "If you think you can turn me into a needy, dependent lover, you are wrong." she bit and pulled on his bottom lip. "I'm my own woman, bats." she purred dangerously and was about to start pumping him, but he rolled them over, mimicking her earlier moves and pinning her arms over her head.
"I know and if I want to be honest, I love that about you." He stared intently into her eyes and she focused on his blue orbs, trying to ignore his choice of word. "I also know you don't back off from a challenge and me, us, is the challenge of a lifetime."
His words rang terrifyingly true when spoken out loud and she opened her mouth to deny the undeniable but he silenced her, sticking his tongue deep in her mouth as if forcing her to swallow down the truth.
"Damn you." she cursed him, her hands escaping his grip and her nails digging deep into his flesh, almost causing drops of blood to spill out.
He was right. He was a challenge, for she had never met a man who could set her senses on fire with a mere look. And if she put her pride aside, it scared her. But, oh well, she never put her pride aside, why start now? So, a better choice of words would be "bother". Yes, that was better. It bothered her how he would drive her so much that she went through all the trouble of breaking into his house. Sure, she wanted the necklace back, but she'd be lying to herself if she said that her heart didn't skip a beat at the idea of seeing him again. And Selina never lied to herself. Only others.
Stopping her pathetic train of thought, she rolled them over, grunting about how it was her turn and he laughed - fucking laughed- and the sound both warmed her insides and pissed her off. Or maybe just the former and that pissed her off. Whatever.
With each leg on his sides, she raised herself just enough to position him in line with her, before coming down with force, making them both groan at the literally fulfilling sensation. It had been less than ten minutes since they were last joined and it still felt as amazing as ever. He leaned in to cup her perfect breasts in his hands, pinching her nipples between his fingers. Her hands scratched his abs before brushing over the all-familiar scratch on his chest. Crouching, she ran her tongue over the scar and sexily stared at him through long, thick eyelashes and he cursed under his breath.
Her bottom slapped against his thighs as she moved up and down, incessantly and without mercy, pushing them further and further towards the peak. Their senses were extremely heightened and for a moment, all they could hear was their ragged breaths as their bodies forcefully slapping against each other. She idly wondered if anyone could hear them or even walk in on them. She didn't ponder on why the thought of getting caught while riding him was such a turn-on, and instead brought her face over his, a not-so-innocent smile on her face. "You think you can control everything and everyone, don't you?" she moved her hips in a circle and squeezed the thighs, knowing how it drove him insane. Good. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. How pompous of you, bats."
"Pot." He mocked her before sitting up and grabbing her by her thighs without breaking contact. Before she could realize what was going on, her back was slammed against the wall just the way she had imagined - because great minds think alike - and he penetrated her with his generous manhood, blowing her mind up in the hottest and most desirable of ways. "If only you knew" he slapped her ass hard, making her gasp in surprise and pleasure, "how you look right now." He moved forward and sucked on her earlobe, turning her into a pond of nerves. "I wish I could see you like this every day." He growled and she chuckled, keeping to herself how his words made her shiver all over.
"Get in line." The words barely escaped her before she bit on his shoulder, her walls tightening around him as he kept thrusting in and out, in and out, relentlessly and forcefully, just the way she liked it.
"I know I don't have to." he arrogantly replied and under different circumstances she would make fun of how sure he was of himself. But right now she was too busy coming all over his cock to come up with a witty reply. What would the point be anyway? He was right. Again. Stupid Bat.
With one final push, he came deep inside of her and she shuddered, her body trapped between the cold wall and his hot - in every sense of the word - body. She rested her forehead against his, both panting heavily as post-coital contentment cascaded over them. Silent moments like this meant a lot to them, more than they had the courage to admit.
As if on cue, Bruce's phone rang and she almost pouted disappointingly, but maintained her composure while climbing off him. They stared at each other for a moment before breaking eye contact, expertly avoiding addressing what could never be addressed between a criminal and a vigilante.
Hypocrisy at its finest.
Stepping away, he picked up his pants and reaching in his pocket, he pulled out his phone. As he suspected, Alfred was calling, probably to check up on him. Had it really been that long? He always lost sense of time and control around Selina. It was an observation rather...unsettling.
"Alfred." He answered, steadying his phone between his ear and shoulder, as he slipped on his discarded boxers and pants. He kept his eyes glued on Selina as she picked her own clothes from all over the place. What is it about you? he wondered before turning his attention back on Alfred. "Yes, everything is fine, don't worry. I was just dealing with some..." he looked at Selina who looked up at him, a sultry smirk on her face, "... hard-pressing issues." He smirked at her and his eyes travelled up her legs as she seductively slipped her lacy thong back on. "Tell her I'll be back shortly." He said on the phone and hung up, following Selina to the living room where the rest of their clothing lay on the floor.
"I assume your new business partner is looking for you, Mr Wayne?" She batted her eyelashes innocently, which was funny because they both knew there was nothing innocent about her. Bruce chuckled, the sound low and deep and so illegally hot that all Selina wanted was to attack him. Again. Instead, she slipped her suit and boots back on. Noticing his tie on the floor, she picked it up, smiling.
"Yes, actually. She wants to make a toast to our new partnership." He shrugged his shirt back on, buttoning whatever was left of its buttons. "The press is already fussing about her being a potential Wayne-girl. She welcomes the attention, of course." Fiddling with his cufflinks, he walked towards her, like a predator heading for his prey, blue eyes burning and a dangerous smirk on his face. She couldn't but grin mischievously as she held his tie in her hands.
"I almost feel sorry for her. Yet another victim of the Wayne charm." She lassoed his neck with the tie and brought him down to her, their lips almost touching. "That's why I'm better than them all. I get what I want." She stated matter-of-factly. His smirk widened into a grin.
"Is this when I boast about being right to say you had another motive for your blowing in tonight?" he said and she simply offered him an indecipherable smile. His hands grabbed on his tie and he took it from her, wrapping it around his palms like a boxer's gloves. His movements were slow and promising and she could feel heat pooling between her legs again. She chuckled as she walked past him, her hand brushing across the width of his shoulders before dropping to her side. She walked over to her whip lying in the floor and lifting it up, she brought it down hard on the floor, her eyes never leaving his, the smack of leather against wood echoing through the walls. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips teasingly before she wrapped her whip around her waist.
Kneeling down, she picked up his discarded jacket. Their eyes met across the room once again, engaging in a heated conversation.
She smiled. Bingo.
He arched an eyebrow. Are you sure?
She cocked her head to the side. Are you daring me, bats?
He smirked. You know I am.
She raised her brow, provokingly. Say I take you up on that, what's next?
He shrugged his shoulders. Nothing we haven't seen before.
She grinned. For some reason I doubt that.
He folded his arms across his chest, brows knitted as if in question. How so?
She rolled her eyes, lips shaping into a half smirk. Because, unlike any other time, you won't chase me.
He unfolded his arms and shoved them in his pockets. I won't.
She bit her lip. Not tonight, at least.
His eyes glistened mischievously. Exactly.
"Interesting." She smiled and walked up to him, placing his jacket over his shoulders before leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips. Backing away, she grabbed her cowl and goggles and slipped them back on, walking towards the open window with Bruce a few feet away. "Fancy seeing you tonight, bats. Hopefully, next time will be just as good."
"Oh, I intend it to be." His smirk was the last thing she saw as she jumped off the window, disappearing into the night. Bruce walked to the window and closed it after her before shoving his hands in his jacket's unsurprisingly empty pockets. Chuckling to himself, he walked towards the safe behind the family portrait she was looking at when he first laid eyes on her tonight. "Open." He ordered and the painting moved aside, revealing a huge safe that opened automatically at the recognition of his voice. Reaching inside, he pulled out the original necklace. Bingo indeed. All Selina had was a replica of the original necklace.
He held the necklace at a distance, admiring the green stone that glittered under the moonlight coming through the windows. He remembered how the replica shined just like that when he held it earlier tonight. It bore an uncanny resemblance to the original one. He had made sure of that. He had made sure the risk of her realising it was not the original was as limited as possible – which was something really difficult, considering who she was.
His smile quivered a bit as he looked at the piece of jewellery in his hand. An unsettling knot started forming at the pit of his stomach and he inhaled sharply at the disturbing feeling. Something felt off. His eyebrows knitted together as his fingers traced the stones.
"I got what I wanted."
Something was definitely off.
After securing the necklace back to the vault, he made his way to his desk. Firing up his computer, he leaned on the wooden table, too uneasy and disturbed to take a seat.
Was it possible? He knew better than to question Selina's skills. He also knew that his occasional inexplicable need to outsmart her made him susceptible to arrogance and mistakes. It bothered him that this happened and he put in a lot of effort to prevent it from becoming a habit. But there were times when things wouldn't go as smoothly as he'd like.
And he was growing worried that this was one of those times.
Typing in the codes, he accessed his computer and looked straight for the material of the security cameras installed in his office. He narrowed down his research by requesting the footage of the last two hours. Everything was fine up until 8:00pm, about an hour since the guests had arrived. At 8:01pm, the camera positioned above the door caught a slight movement through the window that opened shortly after and in came Catwoman with a waist bag around her that wasn't there when he saw her later on. She skilfully climbed off the window sill, her toes first brushing the floor before her heels slowly made contact. Bruce pressed his lips in a thin line that indicated rising frustration. He didn't need an audio to know that such a careful landing wouldn't make the noise he'd heard that led him to the room.
He fast-forwarded the next thirteen minutes of the video in which she was merely stalling, her hips swaying gracefully as she stealthy walked around, and stopped at the point when she reached his desk. His eyes narrowed at the screen as he saw her pull something out of her bag and then fidget with her glove before reaching in his drawers and pulling out the replica of the necklace. He couldn't see clearly but he could bet that she was smirking, proud of herself for somehow managing to retrieve his fingerprints' DNA. Casually and without a care in the world, she walked up to the family portrait and pulled a small device from her waist bag. To his annoyance but not surprise, the vault opened. Bruce paused the footage and zoomed in on the device in her hand which proved to be nothing more than a voice recorder. Effective, he admitted to himself, not bothering think of how she had managed to record him. He had given her the chance to more times than he would like to admit.
Bruce watched her switch places to the necklaces, proving his suspicions correct. She was taking her time, her movements deliberately slow and excessively careful, despite her well-known stealth techniques. It was as if she knew he would see her and wanted to fuel a slow burn in him. Eventually, he sat on his chair and ran a calloused hand over his face. Being a stubborn and strong-headed man, it was hard for him to accept that he had allowed himself to be fooled like that. But he had no time to spare for his hurt ego. He had one question left unanswered. Sighing, he returned his attention to the video, his eyes glued at the back of her head as she made her way to the window. She made a move to climb the sill, but came to a suspicious halt, causing him to narrow his eyes at the screen once again. Carefully, she unfastened the waist bag and crossed it over the sill and onto the ledge on the outside. Then, at 8:33pm, she turned her head and faced the camera, her face donning a sly smirk that could only mean one thing.
I won.
The footage kept playing, showing her shut one of the framed window panes and leaving the other slightly open.
…a click fluttered into his hearing… one of the windows was ajar…
Then, she walked over to his desk, plopped herself on it and slid across the surface before hopping off the edge in what he imagined was an unnecessarily audible thud.
…the quiet sound of something landing on his cherry wood floors…
Having had enough, Bruce shut down his computer and rose from his seat. He paced around, running hands through his hair and sighing in frustration repeatedly. She had played him like a fool and what a fool he was. Walking to the window, he stared out in the night. The signal was off. It was indeed a quiet night in Gotham.
And yet, the Bat once again could not find some peace of mind.
His phone rang again and he stared down at the caller ID. Richard. "Dick." He answered.
"Hey, Bruce." Dick chipped in his usual boyish voice. "Look, I know you're busy being rich and all, but I just thought you should know. Due to the criminal inactivity tonight, I told Damian to go home and on his way back he spotted-"
"Catwoman. I know." Bruce gritted, his hold on his phone tightening. This woman really drove him crazy.
"You do?" Dick asked, confusion and inquisitiveness in his voice.
"Long story. But I can't handle it right now."
"Want us to help?" Dick offered.
"No. I'll take care of it later." Bruce insisted.
"Right. It wouldn't happen to have to do with the ridiculous amount of money you gave the other night for that cat thing she had her eyes on, would it?" Dick pried, his tone teasing and playful.
"I said I will handle it so it's none of your business. Tell Damian to head back as planned." Bruce muttered as he headed for the door in long, impatient strides.
"Okay, Bruce!" Dick laughed, his cheerful personality totally unaffected by his partner's coldness. "I'll let you mingle with your rich friends. Don't have too much fun!" Dick barely managed to say before Bruce hang up, the door to his study closing behind him. He tucked the button-less bottom of his shirt in, adjusted his suit and finger-combed his hair as he walked down the stairs and towards the ballroom. Taking a deep breath, he put on his best smile and entered the spacious room. As he got dragged towards the dance floor by an overwhelmingly excited Natalie Brown, there was only one thing in his mind.
Revenge never seemed more tempting.
There it is! Share your thoughts with me! Stay safe!
P.S.: Someone suggested I write one more chapter, probably with Batman's revenge. What do you guys think?
