Part 26

When Riley woke, she was alone in the bed and wearing the t-shirt Lucas had worn the night before. He must have slipped it on her while she slept because she didn't remember putting it on. She remembered making love...more than once.

She took a shower, dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and t-shirt. Riley found him in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

"Hi."

"You're up. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed."

Riley looked at him then, blushing under his quizzical stare. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Uh...yes. Very well. Thank you."

A slow half smile eased across his lips and crinkled the edges of his eyes, making him irresistible. As always, her body responded, from the tingling awareness of her over-sensitized skin down to her curling toes.

"Red meat, eggs and rice?"

"Yup. Filipino breakfast—the red meat is cured pork, they call it tocino."

Riley smiled. "It's looks delicious. I didn't know you can cook."

"Of course I can cook. Take a seat so we can eat. Make sure you eat a lot cause you'll be needing a lot of energy." His eyes dropped in a leisurely appraisal of Riley's body, making her heat up so that her face felt brick-red by the time their eyes met again.

"You'll need the energy because I'll tour you around Tagaytay," he said, almost musingly.

Riley didn't even bother to comment. All she could think of was the night to come, and the ones after that, repeating what she'd just shared with Lucas.

…..

By the time the weekend came Riley felt emotionally wrung out. Lucas filled her—mind, body and soul. They'd only been sleeping together for two nights, but already it was nearly impossible to remember a time when she hadn't slept in the cocoon of his possessive embrace. He was consuming her utterly, and her already tenuous control of her emotions was rapidly unravelling.

So when Ross called her on Saturday morning Riley was livid.

"Director Covette wants you on the plane back to DC by Friday."

"This Friday? Why so soon? Ross, what's going on?"

"We'll discuss things once you get back."

She didn't argue any further, recognizing the implacable expression of Ross' voice. "Okay," she said weakly instead.

Terminating the call, Riley dropped her phone into her pocket and went to look for Lucas.

"Hi."

Lucas gave a predatory smile. "Hey."

Riley pulled a face and shook her head. "Do you have any plans for today?"

"Nothing except make love to you during daylight."

She blushed, "All you think about is sex. I don't know whether to be flattered or exasperated."

"You should be flattered. I'm a man. I'm programmed to think about nothing but sex." Lucas gave her a smile.

Riley gave a disbelieving laugh. "You're impossible."

His gaze lingered on her face. "Yes I am. So we're going to rectify that," he told her softly.

Riley's stomach curled with wicked excitement and desperate nerves. Before she could stop him, he closed his fingers around her wrist and hooked her arms around his neck. Then slid his hands down her back and cupped her bottom.

"You have the most fantastic body," he groaned.

…..

Finally she lay in bed, sated and exhausted, one arm draped over his powerful chest, her cheeks against the warmth of his shoulder. Her new level of attentiveness was unsettling. There was a shift in their relationship that he didn't understand.

"Riley, we need to talk," he spoke softly and gently, and pressed an affectionate kiss against her warm flesh, hugging her tightly. "I'm –," he broke off as she withdrew from him and sprang from bed.

"I'm leaving on Friday," her voice cracked.

Lucas froze with shock. "This Friday?"

Her legs buckled and she sank down onto the edge of the bed. "I spoke to Ross earlier and they want me back."

Without looking at her, he strode through a door and slammed it behind him. And then she heard the sounds of a shower running.

A tidal wave of relief surged over her and she stopped. Her limbs suddenly drained of strength, she plopped back onto bed. Feeling unsettled and confused, she lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

Eventually the noise of the shower stopped and moments later Lucas strolled back into the bedroom. He'd pulled on a pair of jeans and his hair was still damp from the shower.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Riley sat up in the bed.

He looked at her then, and his eyes were cold as ice. "What would you like me to say?"

She glanced at the rumpled sheets on the bed, her eyes glistening with tears. "Something. Anything. Just talk to me." Suddenly it felt wrong to be naked, and she reached for her shirt.

"Marry me," he blurted out.

Hold up. Lucas floundered, wishing he could cut out his tongue and then swallow it whole as protection against any other impromptu confessions. Had he actually said that aloud? That he wanted to marry her?

Brilliant. Genius. This whole thing had been a disaster from beginning to end. Well, except for the explosive sex. That had gone well. But then she'd told him she's leaving, shooting his best-laid plans straight to hell.

He'd meant to start slow. Why hadn't he started slow? He knew she was skittish. Didn't Jack say that one of the basic principle of combat is to know your opponent? Not that they were opponents, but still. He knew her defense mechanism was to hide behind layers of rules and caution. He knew she needed careful finagling. And had he kept any of these key pieces of information in mind just now? Hell, no. He'd been so upset he'd lost his freaking head.

"Lucas," her voice cracked and she slid out of bed and walked over to him.

He took her hands and pressed them to his bare chest, letting her feel the relentless pounding of his heartbeat.

"Don't, Lucas."

He nodded somberly. How about if he switched to thinking about something else for a minute? That'd be a nice change. He gave it his best effort for ten seconds...and nope. He couldn't pull it off, which was a sad commentary on her superhuman powers over him.

"I'm sorry. This feels weird," she confided nervously. "And a bit awkward, I suppose."

"Awkward?" Shocked out of his contemplation by her inappropriate choice of adjective, Lucas turned on her. "We've gone beyond awkward." His tone was savage, and he saw her take several steps backwards. "I asked you to marry me and all you can say is that you feel weird? What was going on in that female brain of yours?"

Her temper stirred and she stood taller. "My apologies if you find my response inaccurate. I didn't know that you were asking a question. It sounded more like a command."

"I'm asking you to stay here and marry me," Lucas didn't bother softening his tone, and shock flared in her eyes.

She wanted what he offered, but fear and uncertainty froze her in place. She trembled with the effort to speak. Her throat worked for an endless moment, and when the words came they were heavy with pain. "I can't."

"You want to know what I think?" His voice was thickened and raw. "You can stay and marry me, you just don't want to."

There was a deathly silence and then he turned, his eyes empty of emotion. "That's it for us then." The savage bite in his tone was a perfect match for the chill in his eyes. "Goodbye, Riley."

Let me clarify some things, Thor and Riley had worked closely before. At one point in Riley's career she was recruited by the CIA but Riley didn't like it so she quit and joined the FBI instead and after that Thor distanced himself from Riley. Thor is not only a CIA Agent but he's also a Special Forces Army and he's a bad ass Agent who is very focused and controlled but he does have a soft spot: RILEY. NSA asked for Riley because they needed her to distract Thor so they can investigate what he's doing or what's going on in the Philippines.

As for Lucas and Riley's relationship...well it's hard to explain. Love and Logic doesn't always go hand in hand. Lucas had previous romantic relationships so he's more attuned with his feelings where as Riley was more focused on her career and all these romantic feelings are new to her. The best explanation I can give is that, Riley is scared. She just met this guy who rocks her world and yet she doesn't really know him and on the other hand Thor whom she has known for a while and yet doesn't see him other than a close friend told her he loves her. For Riley it's new territory and very complicated.

Kissing men...hmmm, technically Riley only kissed Lucas. Thor and Fudo kissed Riley. Fudo only kissed Riley because one of his men walked in on them with Riley holding a sword (it was just to save Riley) and she knows that, as for Thor...we all know how he feels about her.

hopefully I answered some of your questions and... I know you guys have things to say so please fell free to do so.