The Trapped Assassin
By SarahsSupplyCloset
Author's Note: I keep coming back to find more and more readers, more reviewers. You're all too good. Cannot tell you how much I appreciate it. And there are more, still, who are sending me private messages. I appreciate all of you, as well!
Warning: This chapter contains sexual content. Like y'all didn't see this coming. (wink)
Disclaimer: I do not own CHUCK. I'm not making money.
Chapter 5: Liquid Courage
Two hours later, there was a knock on the door of Sarah Walker's suite.
She quickly put her dangling black sapphire earrings in her ears and smoothed her hands down the front of the silken material of her burgundy dress. It was a halter, with a tightly pleated bodice that swept up from a form-fitting sash, but the wide strap that went around her neck was covered in oval-shaped black sapphires. The fabric was light as a feather and fell elegantly to the floor at her feet, prompting her to wear black strap sandals with a tall heel to keep the dress from touching the ground as she walked.
Chuck would have to wait just a moment longer, she decided, as she took one last look at her hair. She decided to leave it down, falling over her shoulders in perfectly styled waves, feeling a little like Jessica Rabbit. If only she were a redhead.
A certain redhead she knew would never let her live it down if she knew Sarah had just thought that.
The knock sounded again, this time a little more tentative. And she could only imagine him shifting his weight from one foot to the other, wondering if maybe he was too early or too late, wondering if maybe she wasn't here. If she'd forgotten. If she'd stood him up, ran off to who knew where…
But Chuck Bartowski wasn't the sort of guy a red-blooded heterosexual woman stood up.
Maybe Sarah Walker had some deep-seated issues, but not knowing a catch when she saw one was not one of said issues.
In spite of the thrill of anticipation, Sarah was still an agent with the CIA. She'd still killed a very important man a few days ago. So she snagged her small black clutch in her hand and fingered the blade inside, ready to use it if her date wasn't on the other side of that door. It was him, it had to be. The sound of his knock…
Still, she was cautious as she hurried to the door and opened it, her eyes immediately fastening on a very appealing sight.
Very appealing was an much so that she accidentally breathed a surprised "Oh" out loud the moment she saw him.
She didn't think she'd ever seen a man look quite so enticing in a tuxedo. It was a slim cut black tux, the jacket held closed by one button in the middle of his abdomen. And underneath he wore a black dress shirt. All of which was topped with a black silk bow tie. Black on black on black. Hellooo, she heard the naughty voice inside of her head sing. She actually hadn't been aware she had a naughty voice until this trip.
It didn't help that Chuck actually tried to do something with his curly hair so that it looked a little neater. He was usually all windswept, his short curls going every which way. They were tamed now, but still looked just as soft and touchable.
His good looks weren't creeping up on her quite so much anymore. Instead, it was like a punch to her gut.
"You are literally breathtaking to look at," he said quietly, his hand falling from where he had it behind his back. One perfect red rose was clutched between his fingers.
But she didn't notice. She was too focused on the fact that she'd had her good looks pointed out to her in so many different ways and by so many different people that it had simply lost its meaning to her, but never had she heard anyone put it quite like Chuck just had. He'd said it as though she had literally taken his breath away.
Was she going insane? He was driving her insane. How did this man even exist in real life?
He had to have some sort of fault somewhere. A big one. It had to be there.
But she'd be damned if she'd spend all her time and energy finding it when she could be spending it in a much more enjoyable fashion. Like enjoying his merits.
"Thank you," she managed to say, the blush on her cheeks very real. Probably one of the first real blushes of her life. "And black on black on black, huh? Typically worn by a confident man," she teased.
He smoothed his free hand down the front of it and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I thought maybe it had the possibility of being something of a risk."
Sarah reached out to play with one of his lapels between her fingers, before stroking the line of the lapel down to the button.
Strange how easy it was for her to touch him. It had been easy to touch other people before, too, but it had always persuasion, manipulation, goading, cajoling, lying. Trying to make them think she wanted them, that they were safe…lull them into a sense of confidence and invincibility.
If she wasn't playing a mark, she stayed away from people. She interacted only as much as she had to. And she definitely didn't touch. It was a connection she didn't seek. She didn't want it. Or need it.
She dropped her hand back to her side. "That risk really paid off."
He looked incredibly pleased at that, and he really was so cute. When had cute become her type? When had cute even been a word she used? And when had she even thought about having a type before now?
"Oh! This is for you," he said.
He lifted the rose for her to take and she did, letting out a quiet, short giggle and meeting his gaze.
"Thank you. It's beautiful."
He shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets, pulling a bit at his jacket and making him look incredibly sexy. Yet at the same time he was his usual down-to-earth, approachable self.
She was in trouble.
Any woman would be.
And she left with him anyways.
When they finally got across the street and strolled up to La Rose, making quite the couple in the midst of tourists and French natives alike, Sarah found her prediction to be true. She overheard the hostess telling a couple who'd come in off the street that La Rose took reservations three days in advance.
She was expecting the same comment when they stepped up to the podium, and she winced a little at the thought of the embarrassment it might cause her companion. But when Chuck said his name, the hostess immediately grabbed menus and smiled widely, going out of her way to be incredibly kind as she passed them off to another hostess who beamed just as readily.
Not only had Chuck gotten them in at an apparently exclusive restaurant without making the appropriate three-days-in-advance reservation, these people were treating them like royalty.
But it was when they were led to a relatively secluded corner beside a window that looked out over the water that Sarah started feeling like this was too good to be true. And she was sure the suspicious looks she threw Chuck were alerting him to the fact.
Who was this guy?
The last time something like this had happened, she'd been escorting a professional gambler in order to be invited to an important card game where the players were more or less criminal filth.
The hostess handed them the wine menu and detailed their special entrées for the night, before rushing off and leaving them alone. Chuck grinned with a shrug. "I told you I would take care of it."
"What, do you have ties to the French mob or something?"
That made him laugh as he opened the wine menu. "Nothing of the sort. And what does it matter how I got us in? I got us in."
So he was going to be coy, was he? She gave him a look, feeling more than just a thrill when he returned her look with one of his own, tinged with mischief.
"Uh huh. I'm just saying, this is something that happens when you go out on a date with an illegal arms dealer. I've seen movies, I know what's up."
He chuckled again. "I called in a favor. And I promise Paul Bernard of Bernard Mattresses is not an illegal arms dealer. Though," he said, holding up a finger, "a mattress would be a really good place to hide a few AKs. What with the springs and stuff to hide the metal."
She laughed. "You know Bernard Mattresses guy?"
"Well, his son. Who married an heiress. Whose daddy is a billionaire. I did Bernie a huge, massive favor at his LA headquarters. Computer meltdown type stuff. And now he feels like he's indebted to me. No big deal." He flicked an invisible speck of dust off his shoulder.
"Wait, seriously?"
"Yeah. If I hadn't come in, he might've lost a lot of really important assets. Big money. He has a place out here, right on the water. And a yacht. I know this because he didn't shut up about it when I helped him out last month."
Sarah widened her eyes. "Mattresses must be lucrative."
He snorted. "Marrying a rich girl is also lucrative."
Fifteen minutes later, they were still enjoying their appetizers and wine, waiting for their entrées to arrive, when Sarah decided to return to what he'd talked about earlier, at the waterfall.
"So you came here with your sister."
"Yep. And her fiancé, Captain Awesome."
Sarah frowned in confusion. "Captain…Awesome?"
What, was he some sort of action figure doll?
Chuck winced a little, even as he smiled. "Ellie'd get pissed if she knew I was calling him Captain Awesome to someone new. She hates that name. But it just fits him so well. The guy—Man, everything he does is just so awesome."
Sarah leaned her elbow on the table and set her chin on her palm, smiling as she listened, not caring if her eyes sparkled a little brighter after the full glass of red wine she'd enjoyed already.
"Rock climbing, whitewater rafting, hang gliding…flossing."
A sudden laugh bubbled out, and she grinned harder, shaking her head. "That's funny."
"Yeah, well, Ellie doesn't think so," he said, chuckling.
It sounded to her like the typical brother/sister dichotomy. She couldn't help but feel a minor pang of envy. What would her life have been like if she'd had a sibling? Would things have turned out differently? It sounded like Chuck and Ellie had raised and supported each other. And if the last two days of spending time with this man were any indication, Ellie had done a damn fine job.
They ate quietly for the most part, Sarah allowing herself the chance to really enjoy the lobster thermidor she'd ordered. Eventually, though, she peered up at Chuck and noticed that he was watching her plate with some form of awe in his features.
"Wishing you ordered the lobster thermidor?" she asked, stopping what she was doing.
"Huh?" He blinked and shook his head, letting out an amused huff at his own expense. "Sorry, I was just watching you work on that lobster shell. Just, like, a flick of your wrist, a twist of the knife, and the thing snaps right where you want it to. Such precision and skill. Almost no effort. Impressive."
Sarah bit her bottom lip and gave the outer shell one more quick snap to dig out more of the delicious lobster, egg, cheese mixture inside. She did it without looking away from Chuck's gaze even once, lifting her fork to her mouth and eating it slowly. "What can I say? Practice."
"Oh, yeah? Eat a lot of lobster?" He grabbed the bottle of wine and skillfully refilled both of their glasses.
"Mm." She shrugged one shoulder and smirked slowly. "I guess I'm a girl with expensive taste." She leaned even closer, letting the candlelight illuminate her features. "That's probably a turn off for a lot of guys."
He set the bottle down leaned close as well. She was distantly glad he had worn a bow tie, otherwise his tie would've ended up in his lobster bisque.
"Not every guy."
Sarah just stared back at him, quietly taking him in, listening to the soft jazz music floating through the restaurant, the clinking of knives and forks against plates, the heat from the candle in the middle of the table, and the delicious buzz she felt from the wine she'd imbibed. She wasn't sure the buzz was only from the wine, though. She typically held her liquor rather well. It was necessary, as the loss of control during a mission, especially while spending time with a mark, could lead to some very bad things.
"Me. I'm talking about me," he apparently felt the need to clarify. And then he sat back and winced, as though he feared that he'd broken the spell.
But he hadn't. She hoped her resulting smile conveyed that to him. She ate a little more and glanced at him through her eyelashes again. "I like you, Chuck."
His grin did that thing in her chest again where she felt like butterflies were fluttering around inside of it, trying to get out.
They finally escaped through her own grin.
"So I haven't scared you off yet, huh?"
She shook her head. "I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Well, yeah. But you just said you're a lobster woman. And that's lobster thermidor in front of you. From one of the most decadent restaurants in France. I feel like it'd take a lot to get you to leave that on the table, uneaten."
She laughed. "You make a really good point. But even if this was…a bowl of oatmeal or something…I wouldn't be going anywhere." And then she paused, snapping the lobster shell again. "I have every intention of seeing this date through to the very end," she finished slowly.
As curious as she was to see how Chuck took that comment, she kept her eyes on her food.
He could take it however he wanted to.
And then he cleared his throat and she glanced up through her eyelashes again. He was watching her work on the lobster again. Did Chuck have some sort of fetish with women who were good at eating lobster?
"Sorry, it's just…impressive." The way he said impressive left no doubts as to what else was hidden in that word. He meant sexy. And by the look in his brown eyes, and with the way the candlelight danced in his gaze, he was probably even a little turned on.
She was perfectly fine with this development.
"You know, Chuck…This isn't the only thing I excel at." She slid her gaze from his bisque, up his deliciously clad torso, to his face, catching his eye just as she cracked the lobster shell again.
He literally jolted a little in his chair and she watched his Adam's apple bob. And then he threw his wine back like it was a shot of something much harder. At least he wasn't clueless to her blatant come ons. Although his response was something she hadn't experienced before with her marks. It was oddly endearing. Or maybe she only found it endearing because it was him.
Sarah bit her lip to keep from showing her amusement. She really didn't want him to think she was laughing at him. In all honesty, he had as much of an effect on her as she was apparently having on him. And while it was getting harder and harder not to show it as they finished their meal, she still had years of spy training under her belt.
Chuck had nothing of the sort. She'd spent enough time with him now to know with 100 percent certainty that man sitting in front of her was not a threat in any way. Well, at least…not like that.
As the flirting continued he kept knocking back his wine, until another bottle had to be brought as their entrée plates were taken away.
They decided to share a large slice of pear tart. It came with a heaping scoop of French vanilla ice cream that was the perfect texture.
And Chuck looked supremely content as he dug in. There was also a bit of a glaze over his warm brown eyes. The glaze she recognized as coming from having a bit too much alcohol. With the way he'd seemed to not have any trouble keeping up with her in the flirtation department, she wondered if the wine had contributed to his efforts.
Or maybe it wasn't the wine. And he felt the spark flaring between them just as acutely as she'd been feeling it all day.
It became stronger and stronger as the night went on.
"This is really good ice cream," he said as he dipped the tart on his fork in the creamy vanilla and popped it into his mouth with a groan that made Sarah feel like someone had tied a knot right behind her belly button.
She squirmed a little in her chair and played it off with a slow smile. "I like it."
"Even though it isn't Rocky Road?"
Even under the influence of too much wine, he still remembered the tiniest detail about their conversation earlier that day in the park on top of Castle Hill. She found she was completely unsurprised, but still pleased.
"Even though it isn't Rocky Road," she agreed with a quiet smile.
And then Chuck stilled, narrowing his eyes as he chewed, his tongue sweeping out to lick his lips. She tried not to watch too closely. "Do they even have Rocky Road in France?"
Sarah giggled. "I don't know. I've never tried to look for it."
"Oh." He looked deep in thought for a moment as he turned to stare out of the window at the dark sea beyond. And then he turned back to her and leaned over the table, his face close to hers. Not for the first time, she decided his good looks were very different from those of any other man she'd met. They weren't quite so obvious, because he was kind of a goof. In the best way. But God, when he was close like this, his features tinged with just a bit of sincerity, his lips upturned in the smallest of smiles, he was seriously handsome. His jaw and his nose were especially well built. "I'm gonna find some for you. Just you wait. If it exists, I'll get it."
Sarah just smiled, unable to keep it from growing into a grin so wide it hurt her cheeks a little. "See? Black on black on black. Confidence."
"I'm determined like that," he finished in a soft breath, amused at her reference to what she'd told him at the door of her suite earlier.
That feeling between her legs returned and she squirmed again, disguising it by leaning forward to gently brush his lips with hers. Just a taste. "So am I. But my determination has nothing to do with ice cream."
His closed eyes snapped open and she saw that he understood her meaning quite clearly, even with how hazy his mind must be. She'd lost count as far as his wine intake went. But half of their second bottle was gone already and she'd only had three-quarters of a glass out of that one. The rest was all him.
"Check, please," he muttered, lifting his hand and turning away from her, casting his eyes around the room.
She laughed and shyly tucked her hair behind her ear, silently agreeing with his impatience.
It took another fifteen damn minutes for them to pay and make their way out of the restaurant, though.
And Chuck was a little unsteady on his feet, she noticed. She didn't want to embarrass him, so instead of holding him up like she thought he might need, she wrapped an arm around his waist and tucked herself into his side to make him feel like they were cuddling, trying hard not to laugh.
He was an incredibly sweet drunk.
The way he chirped "Bonjour!" at the people they passed by. Luckily everyone seemed to be in good spirits, as well, and they responded politely. One man even accepted her companion's fist bump as they crossed paths.
"Nice is really beau-ful at night, don't you think? Like, at home, I can never see the stars. Like, I see a few of 'em every so often. You know? Like, usually with a big city, you can't see stars. But there are so many here!" He'd stopped on the sidewalk, letting his head fall back as he gaped up at the sky.
She grinned and put her hands on his shoulders to get his attention. His smile was so beautifully happy as he lowered his chin and stared at her again. "It really is beautiful, isn't it? Do you want to go inside, Chuck?"
"I do!"
"Okay," she chuckled, seriously heart-warmed by him as he draped an arm over her shoulders and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek while they walked into their hotel's lobby. It took a bit of effort, but they moved past the lobby, out to the path leading to their own building, and finally stopped at the elevator.
As they waited for the elevator to arrive, Chuck's weight became a little heavier against her side, and then she felt his nose nuzzle her cheek, and then his lips were pressed to her jaw.
And then he was turning to wrap her up in his arms, kissing her neck with a surprising amount of determination. Sarah took a deep breath, a slow smile spreading over her lips as she held onto him. The elevator dinged and the doors opened just as he worked his mouth up to hers.
She kissed him with just as much gusto as she carefully stepped back towards the elevator. She pulled her lips from his to glance at the control panel, smacking the button for the eighth floor distractedly, since he was licking and nibbling at the place just below her ear. Oh, she hadn't known that was such a sensitive spot until this moment, and she couldn't help but moan softly.
As the elevator lurched to life, she nearly lost her footing, as distracted as she was. But even as drunk as he was, he had the awareness to wrap his arms even tighter around her, holding her steady, close. And he kissed her with a staggering amount of passion.
Her back was against the wall of the elevator then and she had to slap her hand over the railing, she was so surprised. His lithe figure was pinning her so deliciously. She dragged her other hand up his tuxedo jacket's lapel, teasing his bow tie with a little tug before wrapping her arm around his groaned, his hands clenching the material of her gown as he kissed her even harder.
But then the elevator stopped and Sarah forced herself to pull back from the kiss. She giggled as his pursed lips continued forward and almost met with the wall because she'd stepped out from in front of him.
He nearly tipped, but she caught him and guided him safely out of the elevator, moving down the hallway slowly, considering he was holding her back to his front as they awkwardly penguin-waddled practically the whole way to his room. Chuck's lips were freaking magnetically attached to her neck, she decided, but she also decided she had no problem with that at all.
When they arrived at his room, he teasingly (or perhaps drunkenly) closed his teeth over her shoulder, just gently enough to make her gasp.
God, he was wreaking havoc on her senses. She was quickly losing her sense of control.
"Chuck, your key," she just barely kept her voice from failing.
"Mmmm, my key," he grumbled, dragging his lips up to her neck and jaw again, his arms pulling her so tightly to his front that she felt every last inch of him.
She whimpered under her breath, biting her lip. "Chuck, I love what you're doing, don't get me wrong. But focus for a second on what I'm saying. You need to get your key out so that we can get inside of your room."
"Mmmyes. Bedroom," he slurred, nibbling on her pulse point.
Jesus Christ, she thought to herself. Trying her best not to snap completely, she turned in his arms, smirking when he used that as an opportunity to pin her to the door and continue kissing her. His tongue swept against hers and she sighed, opening her eyes to try to see what she was doing.
A skillful hand slid down his front, dipping into his tuxedo pants pocket, feeling for the key card. Chuck took that as encouragement and growled her name against her lips, nearly sending her right over the edge. She really couldn't let them round third base in this hallway.
That just wasn't done.
So she tried his other pocket. No luck.
And then she pushed both hands into his back pockets and pulled his wallet out. Chuck whispered her name against her cheek and she had to shut her eyes and take a deep breath to keep as much composure as she could as she opened his wallet and peered over his shoulder to thumb through the cards there. Finally, she pulled his room key out and put his wallet into his pocket again.
This caused Chuck to jerk his hips into hers and she gasped at the feeling of the bulge in front of his pants rubbing against her.
She turned around, letting him sweep her hair away from her neck and continue kissing the revealed skin from behind.
Finally, she was able to get them into his room, and he half staggered into her.
She spun and took a step towards him, catching his weight, straining a little as she reached behind him with her foot and kicked the door shut. Walking backwards, she guided him through the door that led into the bedroom and stopped when the backs of her legs ran into his mattress.
Sarah didn't care to take any of it in, as engrossed as she was in Chuck's kiss, the way he grabbed at her with his large, warm hands, the way her heart was pounding in her chest like a hummingbird's.
How strong and gentle he was all at the same time as he held her in his arms and touched her.
She turned them around and gave him a playful shove so that he landed on the mattress, an explosive grin on his face as he looked up at her. Giggling a little, she crawled over him and continued kissing, focusing on his neck this time. His cologne was mesmerizing. Not overly pungent, but absolutely invigorating all the same. Natural.
His body was so hard beneath hers and his hands were still clumsily grappling for the zipper at the back of her dress, the sweet man.
"Srrhh…" He slurred her name again, his lips against her hair, before she felt his hands slide off of her back altogether and fall to the mattress limply.
Sarah stopped, her lips pressed against his jaw. Furrowing her brow, she pushed herself up to her elbows and looked down at his face.
His eyes were shut, his face peaceful, his lips still pursed in a half-kiss.
She couldn't help it.
She laughed, pressing her face into his chest, her voice muffled against his tuxedo.
Scooting up his body, Sarah stroked her fingers down his cheek and kissed his lips ever-so-gently, before swinging her weight to the side and flopping on her back next to him, giggling again as she covered her face with both hands.
This was ridiculous, but also the most wonderful she'd ever felt in her entire life.
Sure, they hadn't had sex, but how far would she really allow it to go with him as inebriated as he was? Not that far. As much as she wanted him. It was best that he'd clocked out before she had to make that decision.
Sarah turned her head to peer at him. He was still immaculate in his tuxedo, even though the bow tie was a little crooked.
She'd done that.
She shifted onto her side, facing him, and reached up to undo his tie with one hand, the other hand propping her head up so that she could see what she was doing in the moonlight that flooded into the room. With that done, she unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, unbuttoned his tuxedo jacket, and did her best to climb over him without jostling him so that she could stand up beside the bed.
Taking in how tall he really was, which was somehow even more evident with the way he was sprawled on his bed, she wondered if maybe she should've stopped him from drinking so much. Had she made him nervous? Was he simply not paying attention to what he was putting in his body? Or was it a whole bunch of things put together?
It didn't really matter, because he was out like a light. And she was so drawn to how peaceful he looked, his long eyelashes and mussed hair, his lips pursed in a bit of a pout.
He'd be a little worse for wear in the morning, though.
She untied his shoes and pulled them off of his feet, lifting his legs so that he was lying properly on the mattress. And then she carefully put a pillow under his head, letting her fingers stay in his curls maybe a little longer than necessary.
She eventually backed away, hoping he wouldn't feel too poorly in the morning. He was tall, and he certainly weighed enough, she'd discovered as she practically had to hold him up after they got off the elevator a few minutes earlier. He could handle alcohol, she thought. But wine was one of those drinks that certain people couldn't hold as well as others. Maybe wine was this beer-drinking atypical frat boy's weakness.
She still felt the buzz herself, admittedly.
Or maybe the buzz was from the way he'd kissed her and touched her…
Sarah decided to get out of here before she followed that line of thought too far.
She left the lights off in the room, crossing to the sliding door that led to the balcony and pulling the shutters across to cover the doors as quietly as she could, before slipping out into the main room of the suite and finally emerging into the hallway. Before she went back to the elevator, Sarah leaned forward to press her forehead against the cool wood of the door and sighed heavily, letting her eyes slip shut.
To say she was frustrated was maybe a little bit true. But it wasn't like she didn't know where to find him. The way they hadn't hesitated to continue their day together even when they had to split to change for dinner told her she would see him again. And the way he'd looked at her.
As she stood in the elevator, headed for her own floor below, Sarah felt the warmth of him mix with the warmth of the wine and good food, and she suddenly felt very tired. So much so that she changed into her panties and camisole as though in a daze, before she collapsed into her bed and immediately fell asleep, a soft smile on her face once again.
—
Another morning, another twenty four hours of being suspended without receiving even a single word from Director Graham.
But this morning was a little different. Because she found she didn't care all that much like she had the last few days. In fact, she hadn't cared about anything really when she woke up. She hadn't cared enough to change into her running clothes and go for her typical morning jog along the promenade. She hadn't even cared enough to get out of bed for an entire hour once she'd woken up, instead dozing on and off and reveling in the sunlight warming her back as it seeped into her glass balcony doors only partially covered by the wood shutters.
Eventually, she'd relented around 8, climbing out from the warm cocoon of her sheets and duvet, and finding her way into the bathroom to take a long hot shower.
Fully awake and dry, Sarah shrugged on the sky blue terrycloth robe the hotel provided her with, wearing nothing else under it save a pair of panties because she rather enjoyed how the material felt against her bare skin.
She sat on her balcony with her feet up, reading a mystery novel she'd bought in one of the hotel's gift shops the other day. She found that the melodrama read better in French.
It was probably half past nine when there was a knock on her door.
Figuring it was hotel staff wanting to clean her room, and feeling a little miffed because she specifically remembered hanging the Ne Pas Déranger sign on the door handle, she huffed and climbed to her feet, deciding she could always take the opportunity to order breakfast, or at least coffee.
When she swung open her door, expecting to see one of the hotel workers in their light blue uniforms, she swallowed the polite greeting on the tip of her tongue and simply gaped.
Chuck gaped back, apparently a little distracted by the sight of her in her robe. Silly, really, considering he'd already seen her in a bikini which revealed much, much more.
"Chuck! Hi!" And then she smirked a little when she thought of the condition he'd been in when she left him the night before. "How are you feeling?"
"Uh, right. That. Good. Thanks. Totally cured. I was more than embarrassing last night, and I really apologize for that, but um, luckily I didn't have much of a hangover this morning."
"Good," she said.
He really did look embarrassed at the moment, and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him she'd actually been charmed by his drunken antics. She'd known angry drunks, tired drunks, amorous drunks. But Chuck Bartowski was simply more himself. And veryfriendly. Perhaps a bit more gutsy. She figured sober Chuck wouldn't have been kissing her neck quite as much as drunk Chuck had last night.
"But I have to admit, um," Chuck stumbled, taking a deep breath. "I'm—Honestly, I remember everything and I feel kind of like I blew it…I fell asleep, you know? Which was," he let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "Well, I woke up and realized…" He shook his head, took her in, and sighed. "Oh, fuck it."
Sarah wasn't prepared for him to step inside, cup her face gently in his hands and kiss her with as much passion as he had the night before, as though the last ten hours didn't exist at all. He was sober now. Maybe the only thing that would've been different about last night were he sober was that he wouldn't have fallen asleep underneath her.
His kiss became more passionate, suddenly, as though he felt her mind going a mile a minute and he needed a way to pull her back in.
It worked.
She gasped, clenching her hands into fists and kissing him back. Until finally she recaptured just a smidgeon of her awareness and wrapped her fingers in the front of his T-shirt, tugging him all the way inside her suite and reaching around him with her other hand to slam the door shut.
Taking the initiative, since his motives for coming down to her room were more than clear now, the assassin pushed him until his back thumped against the door, and she pinned him there, opening her mouth against his and licking along his teeth. He tasted like berries and it was literally intoxicating. So much so that her head began to buzz a little.
Sarah pushed a hand into his hair, feeling that it was just a little damp, as though he'd taken a shower, too. And he'd also shaved, all of this before coming down for a visit…
She quickly pushed that out of her mind, though, because he was here now. And they were continuing where they left off last night, apparently.
Which was everything she hadn't known she needed until she opened the door and saw him standing there, all 6 feet 4 inches of pure sexy nerd. And the way he'd even looked a little uncertain as he stood in the hallway.
She hoped he wasn't uncertain anymore. She couldn't be more certain.
To prove it to him, and to herself, she grabbed both of his shoulders and jumped into his arms, lifting her legs to wrap around his waist and kissing him again, harder this time as he let out a soft growl into her mouth. He caught her so easily, his large hands splayed on her back, and it was such a turn on.
He broke the kiss, dragging his lips and teeth down her jawline, finally tasting her neck, which was his favorite even when he was sober, apparently.
She grinned wildly as he nibbled and sucked, kissing a pattern along to the lapel of the robe and nudging it aside with his face to latch his lips onto her collarbone.
"Oh, Chuck," she whispered, letting her head fall back as far as it would go, allowing herself to just feel him.
Chuck's hands grasped onto her hips and he hoisted her up against him more securely, the movement quick and effective. She could feel him under his pants now. And she was so turned on she thought she might burst before they even got to the bed.
Honestly, any horizontal surface would do.
Something inside of her snapped at that thought and she lowered her chin again, kissing his hair, his forehead, his temples, before pressing her lips to his ear. She whimpered his name and it was like the heat between them burst into full-fledged flames.
Chuck turned his face and caught her lips in a hot kiss. She held onto his head with both hands, tightening her thighs around him. It automatically pushed her groin into his and he growled again.
Her quiet gasp became a sharp yelp of surprise as Chuck purposefully strode across the sitting room in a few long strides, carrying her all the way to the bedroom. She thought he maybe hit his leg on a piece of furniture along the way when he let out a pained grunt, but the kiss never lost any steam, nor did he break his stride. And soon he swung her down, causing her to squeal in surprise, before he deposited her on the bed.
Sarah grabbed hold of his shirt as he started to move away, and she yanked him down on top of her, wrapping her legs around his waist again and linking her ankles to hold him there. He kissed her neck again as she pressed her lips to his hair, focusing on the feeling of his weight on top of her, how good it felt.
She dragged her hands down his muscled back to the hem of his shirt, pulling it up to feel his smooth, heated skin. He groaned and she felt his teeth nip at the juncture of her jaw and neck, before he breathed her name.
"Sarah…" It was soft, desperate.
She'd only been known as Sarah Walker for a short time, and it had never really felt like much more than just another name, the one they used at Langley so that she could have a badge to flash during assignments… Until this moment. Suddenly it was as if she'd never wanted to be anyone as much as she wanted to be the Sarah this man knew. The Sarah who was pinned underneath this sturdy, real man.
Sarah began tugging at his shirt more sincerely this time, dragging it up his back, trying to get it off of him. Picking up on the cue, Chuck tilted his torso away from her and divested himself of the shirt in one swift movement. She didn't see or care where it ended up, because he was a lot more fit than she'd known underneath the T-shirts and suit she'd seen him wear before.
He lowered himself onto her again, pushing his arms under her body and embracing her again. Keeping one arm around her waist, he hoisted her off of the mattress and leaned down to grab the sheets of her unmade bed, pulling them down and out of the way.
She couldn't hold in a deep giggle as she buried her face in his neck, kissing his skin there repeatedly until he put her back on the bed. Feeling mischievous, she kept her legs wrapped around his waist when he made to step back from the bed, and she earned a flat look, even as there was still a lot of desire swirling in his brown eyes.
He wrapped his fingers around her ankles and slowly slid them up her calves to her knees, before going back to her ankles. The look in his eyes was just…mmmm.
Then he pulled her legs away from him and gently set them down, stepping back to unbutton and unzip his jeans.
Sarah felt a thrill go through her at watching him push them down his legs, the way he did it all with such precision, so slowly…
But as he tried to step out of his jeans, his foot must have caught in them and he tipped forward, falling on top of her.
She yelped. And then she laughed uproariously at him as he chuckled and shook his head, burying his face in the terrycloth robe that was slowly coming apart in all the activity. He must have realized it just as she did, and he didn't even give her the chance to sober up a little before he nuzzled his face in the robe and opened it further, until she felt his lips against her bare abdomen.
Sucking in a breath through her teeth, Sarah couldn't stop her eyes from rolling to the back of her head as she moaned quietly. Biting her lip, she lifted her head to look down at him as he teased her muscled abs with his lips and tongue. When he set his focus on her belly button, she moaned again, reaching down to bury the fingers of one hand in his hair.
Chuck dragged his lips up the center of her ribcage, gently reaching up to ease the robe aside and reveal her breasts to him. She watched as he swallowed thickly, his amber gaze burning as he stared at her chest, before his eyes lifted to meet hers.
How easily one look from him could make her toes curl.
Without looking away, he lowered his mouth to one of her soft mounds. He applied pressure with his tongue as he sucked along the top, around the side, and down to the bottom. Sarah let out a long breath as he draped his other hand over her other breast, massaging it and rubbing his thumb over her nipple. He finally wrapped his lips around her other nipple and sucked gently, flicking it with his tongue.
He spent what felt like both an eternity and not enough time on her breasts.
It was so good, and by the time he moved up to bestow her lips with his kiss, there was an ache between her legs only one thing could satisfy. She pushed her torso up against his, working to release her arms from the robe, arching her ass off of the bed to tug the terrycloth garment out from under her and toss it out of the way.
Chuck helped her, even as he nibbled on her jaw.
With the robe gone, she fell back to the sheets and tugged him down, wanting to feel his weight against her again. She felt surprisingly safe under Chuck, when before this feeling had been cause for caution, if not total alarm. She wasn't sure she'd ever been in a more vulnerable position. And yet, she was reveling in it, even whimpering in pleasure.
Although that might have something to do with Chuck's hand stroking her thigh. He pulled her leg up, the angle pushing their hips together, and he even rocked into her, letting out a soft breath in her ear.
Oh God, she thought to herself, opening her mouth in pleasure as he rolled his hips into hers again.
That was it. No more foreplay.
She scooted out from under him, pulling herself up to the headboard and lying back to drape herself over the bed in the proper direction. He followed eagerly, lowering his weight against her again and it felt even better with the pillow under her head, her legs spread on the mattress to make room for his lithe body.
When she felt his fingers slide under the waistband of her panties at her hip, she let out a long sigh of his name, turning her face to kiss him. As their tongues met, his fingers rounded to her front, teasing the waistband a little, before he slid his hand over the material to cup her sex. He gave her a squeeze and she whimpered, pulling her face back to bite her lip. "Oh God, Chuck," she said under her breath, her voice a little strangled. He squeezed her again and she gasped a lusty "Yes!" against his lips.
He shifted his weight again, lying directly on top of her, his cock lined up with her sex. With nothing but her panties and his boxers between them, she felt his hardness acutely as he rolled his hips against her a few times.
Sarah let her head fall back, squirming underneath him and curling her fingers around his biceps, holding on while he thrusted. He was a God damn masterpiece when it came to foreplay.
But she needed him inside of her.
Before she could vocalize her need, he shifted off of her, shoving his boxers down his legs and kicking them over the edge of the bed, making quick work of her panties as well as she arched herself up to help him.
She barely had time to register what he looked like without a shed of clothing on, to admire him, and follow where those delicious trails of hair led, because he was back on top of her and his fingers were wedged between their bodies, sliding down her front, and finally teasing her entrance.
Sarah tilted her head back with a whimper, gritting her teeth, holding onto his arms, rolling her hips up against his touch.
As good as it felt, as lost as she was in the sensations, Sarah found herself in awe of how thoughtful he was. He was making sure she was ready for him before taking her the way she wanted him to. And as he pulled his fingers away, he shifted his weight up her body a little and she felt the head of his cock at her entrance. Yes, yes, yes, her mind was saying as she looked up into his face.
He dove down to kiss her again, and as he did, she felt him enter her oh so slowly. Just an inch at a time, gently. Almost too gently. Her entire body was thrumming. She ached for more.
Sarah slapped her hands over the small of his back, massaging his muscles before dragging them down to grab his ass, squeezing and tugging to sheathe him deep inside of her.
"Ohhh, God," he groaned breathlessly, his lips at her temple.
Thank God Chuck was good at picking up on her cues, for he began to move against her immediately, bracing himself with his elbows digging into the mattress on either side of her body.
She whined his name, wrapping her arms around his torso and bending her knees beside his hips. She dug her heels in and met his strokes, dragging a hand up through his hair. "Oh yes, yes, Chuck!" she gasped.
This was so good.
Sarah made her mind a blank, just concentrating on every last sensation.
Every stroke filled her so perfectly, lifting her ass off of the mattress.
There was no other sound in the room except for their heavy breathing, and her soft whimpers at the feeling of him inside of her.
She'd never been all that verbal during sex. There was no point. It always seemed like such a ridiculous porno ploy, something to give the man ego. Like he was the greatest thing on the planet. Why go out of her way to sing praises to a man who was nothing but a way to get out a little adrenaline?
But without thinking about it, she started gasping encouragement. Hissing in pleasure, whimpering in ecstasy, his name on her lips. And when he shifted a little lower, his cock sliding against her g-spot as he thrusted himself up into her again, she cursed under her breath.
"Oh, that's it," she panted in a whisper. And then she found her voice, whining, "That's it, Chuck. Oh yes, that's it!"
He responded with a whimper of her name, repeating what she praised him for over and over again. Even in the midst of passionate sex, he was listening to her, paying attention to her wants and needs. That was sexier than anything else she'd ever experienced in the bedroom.
And when she reached down to squeeze his ass again, feeling his muscles clench with each rocking movement, Chuck let out a choking gasp of her name, burying his face in her hair and lowering himself from his elbows, shoving his hands under her body to grab her backside as well.
Chuck lost his slow, powerful rhythm and he quickened his pace, using his grip on her ass to yank her into his thrusts. She cried out and clung to him, pressing her face into his hair and wrapping her legs around his waist.
The assassin found she'd lost all semblance of control.
No, in fact, she hadn't lost it. She'd given it willingly to him.
She'd never done that before, and here she did it without a second thought, surrendering every part of herself to him as though it was second nature to her. When it was anything but second nature throughout her entire life.
She did her best not to dwell on that, focusing on the here and now. And it was a good thing, too, because Chuck had propped himself up over her again, his weight on his elbows, his thrusts rhythmic and hard once more. But then she saw his hand begin to slide up towards the pillow her head rested upon, and in that split second, she remembered her safety precaution—a precaution that became a nightly ritual years ago when she'd been found out by a mark and he snuck into her hotel room in an attempt to smother her to death with a pillow. Ever since then, she'd kept a knife beneath the pillow she slept on, always prepared for an attack.
The knife was there now.
Of course Chuck wasn't a danger to her. He was looking for a way to brace himself. But if he felt that knife, what the hell sort of woman would he think she was? Not the sort of woman who was a translator on a much needed vacation.
Thinking fast, even with the blissful fog that dulled her mind, Sarah threw her weight to the side and flipped them over with Chuck ending up on his back, his hands up beside his head, his eyes wide as he let out a breathy, "Whoa!"
His surprise became an explosive grin as she straddled him, sitting in his lap. She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and dove back into the spirit of things as though she hadn't just been inches away from being found out. She began to roll her hips into his lap.
Sarah started with a frenzied pace, grabbing his wrists and pinning them over his head as she rode him fast and hard. It fit with how desperate she'd been swinging him onto his back. This way, he'd just think she was a control freak, or maybe a wildcat in bed, or something that wasn't a CIA assassin.
She could deal with those first things. But she didn't want him to know about that last thing. Ever.
By the look on his face, she didn't think she had to worry about it.
"Oh, Sarah!"
Chuck's gaze was fastened on where they were joined, watching her fast movements, his eyelids fluttering. He did nothing to hide the way she was making him feel, showing quite plainly on his face how good it felt, letting out soft whimpers, groaning. His eyes feasting on the sight of her above him.
Sarah didn't slow down for awhile, using her entire body to give him pleasure, letting him know in turn just how good he felt.
And then Chuck began to arch himself into her, meeting her stroke for stroke, making it a little easier on her and intensifying the sensations.
After some time, her limbs starting to ache a little, Sarah let go of one of his wrists and slammed her hand onto the headboard of her bed, holding it tightly as she bounced on Chuck's cock, letting her head fall back and looking up at the ceiling. "Oh Chuuuck," she moaned, feeling his hand close over one of her breasts and squeeze.
She could feel her climax building now, that delicious ache between her legs, flooding up into her lower belly, tightening.
Chuck's jaw was clenched as he looked down his body again.
She moved the hand that wasn't holding onto the bed for dear life to feel the hair on his chest, teasing his pecks and nipples, switching from bouncing to swinging her hips back and forth and riding him again.
He surprised her then when he sat up, their chests crashing together, and he scooted back a little, closer to the headboard, rounding the small of her back with one arm and holding onto her thigh with the other. Then he lifted her leg as he kissed her lips. This time, it was Sarah's turn to pick up on his cues, and she obeyed his silent request, moving her legs out behind him, bending her knees, and pressing her feet against the bed.
Sarah kept hold of the headboard, rounding his shoulders with her other arm. She cried out in ecstasy as Chuck gyrated his hips up into hers.
"Chuck…" She moaned into his ear.
Pressing her hips down to meet his thrusts, she threw her head back when their bodies began to rock back and forth together.
She was on the edge of an orgasm. She could feel it, and she was doing her best to brace for it. Somehow she knew it would be intense. "I'm almost there, Chuck," she whimpered. "I'm almost there."
A deep groan seemed to be all he was capable of, before she felt him move his hand between them. And then he had two fingers pressed against her clitoris and he was rubbing it vigorously as he arched himself up from the bed and into her softness.
"Oh!"
She climaxed, her entire body clenching, tensing, that feeling of an electric shock zipping through her body, up and down her arms and legs, the ecstasy pooling directly in her center. "Oh, God," she gasped. "Chuck!"
The way he was touching her, his fingers pressed against her, still thrusting inside of her except much more gently this time, was making her orgasm last longer.
She whimpered into his ear.
That was when she felt his body tighten against hers, his hardness seeming to almost vibrate for a moment, before he made one last hard thrust up into her and she felt his warm seed spill inside of her. She moaned his name and tugged on his hair a little, gyrating against him gracefully to take everything he had to offer.
When they finally stilled, Sarah let out a deep breath, her shoulders sagging, and she pulled her face back from where she'd buried it in his hair to look down at him. His eyes were shut, his face set in awe, his cheeks a beautiful shade of pink that matched his chest and shoulders from the exertion.
And when he finally opened his eyes, looking up into her face, his smile was quite nearly her undoing. For the second time that morning.
He let out an incredibly satisfied groan that originated deep in his chest. And then he dropped his gaze between their bodies to where his fingers were still pressed against her clitoris. She didn't mind it, but he quickly pulled his hand away with a slightly sheepish look on his face, instead holding her by her waist and burying his face in her neck.
She scooted a little closer to hug him, simply reveling in how it felt to be tangled up with him. She had never done anything this intimate. Granted, she'd never fused with any other partner the way she had with Chuck. Like they'd actually become one entity.
Sarah giggled softly as she realized how corny that sounded. Like they'd become one entity? She was officially banned from reading any more of those cheesy historical romance novels.
"You okay?" he asked quietly, stroking a hand down her hair.
She leaned back to look him in the face and nearly scoffed at him. "Okay probably isn't the best word to describe how I am right now," she said, shaking her head at how breathless she still sounded. She was practically panting. She hummed, hugging him again and pressing her face into his hair.
He simply hugged her back and they stayed that way for awhile, prompting Sarah to wonder at the fact that she'd never cuddled before. And she'd never let a man stay inside of her for longer than was purely necessary, that was for sure. The continued connection, any amount of intimacy outside of getting pleasure, was never anything she needed or sought.
And here she was wrapped up in this man's arms—a man she'd only met a few days ago—wondering if she could perhaps justify staying like this for the rest of the day.
It was madness.
Logic demanded that she pull away and get dressed, order breakfast, do something that wasn't this intimate. But she didn't want to be logical. For the first time since she could remember, she didn't need logic right now. Logic kept her safe. It protected her from letting her guard down, from getting hurt. It kept her from being vulnerable.
But she didn't need any of that.
She felt safe here. And she was perfectly content to let his arms be her only protection.
Sarah Walker was too caught up in Chuck Bartowski to worry about anything else but the here and now. She didn't even think about how dangerous it was for her to wave away the precautions, the safeguards, the walls she kept up for most of her life.
For just this moment, she only thought about him.
Well, that escalated slowly and deliciously.
'Til next time!
SarahsSupplyCloset