Title: The Thief
A/N: Sorry for the late update. If you haven't noticed, I'm writing like 4 different fics, and I'm working on each one little by little. So please bear with me. Anyway, thanks for reading and leave a review if you wish! Hope this chapter is okay.
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Chapter Four:
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The ride to Italy was surprisingly pleasant. But then again, she had never flown anywhere in a luxurious private jet. The moment they landed, they were able to walk right out and into a Limo that would take them to their hotel. Thank goodness they didn't have to go through customs. And they didn't go to just any hotel. It was a 6-star deluxe hotel, owned by Merlin himself; The Grand Hotel Ambrosias, perched on a hillside overlooking the ocean. It is an absolutely breathtaking view.
The exterior looks Victorian with peaceful olive groves, much like its surrounding areas. Behind the hotel, is four acres of romantic tropical gardens with superb palm trees, a heated salt-water pool, a tennis court, and an outdoor bar and grill.
The lobby is bathed in gold with Classical fittings and marble statues lining the entrance. There were vast guest rooms, foyers, fine in-house restaurants.
They were of course, escorted to the Presidential Suite, which Morgana assumes is Merlin's personal choice every time he comes here. Arthur takes his leave of them, explaining that he will be going to see his father and will probably spend the rest of the night there.
And now, Morgana realizes nervously, she is truly alone with Merlin. God, she was never this nervous before.
"Would you like a drink?" Merlin asks quietly as he shrugs out of his suit.
Morgana can only nod, her mouth suddenly going dry as Merlin sets his jacket on top of a couch before rolling up his sleeves, loosening his tie, and unbuttoning 3 of the buttons on his shirt. He moves swiftly and smoothly, making it seem like he's practically floating on air. He goes to the minibar, taking 2 glasses and dropping 3 small cubes of ice in each. And then he smiles at her as he begins mixing drinks and liquids.
Morgana uses the time to explore the living area a little, her eyes darting around. She takes note of where Merlin left the only luggage he brought with him. She guesses that there would be valuable information in there and would have to find a way to get to it. He's not likely to leave it there with her when he goes to his conferences, so she would probably have to snoop around his things when he's there. She chucks it down to 3 scenarios. When he's sleeping which will be a little tricky since rich and powerful men tend to be very light sleepers (probably a side effect of the paranoia that comes from the fear of being robbed), so that would have to fall in the "maybe" category. When he's not actually in the room, which probably won't ever happen, and if it does, he'll probably take all his important documents and information with him. And finally, when he's in the shower. The thought makes her nervous, just thinking about him and shower. Naked, water running down his body. She momentarily wonders what he looks like beneath that super expensive tailored suit. Closing her eyes tightly, she wills the thoughts away. It doesn't work, but it's worth a try.
"Your drink, Miss O'Connor."
Morgana turns, plastering a smile on her face as she takes the glass from his outstretched hand. "Thank you, Merlin… and you can call me Alessandra."
He smiles at her, his eyes sparkling as he lifts his glass to his lips and takes a sip of his drink. "Alessandra. It's a beautiful name."
"It means 'defender of men'." she chuckles before taking a sip of her own drink. She actually learned that from a previous heist. The rich man she had tricked into inviting her inside his home kept going on about his late wife Alessandra, and he had let slip the meaning of her name.
Merlin chuckles. "So… Alessandra. Are you a defender of men?"
She gives him a playful look. "I can barely defend myself. You expect me to defend others too?" That's another lie. She had enrolled herself in self defense and tae kwon do classes as soon as she grew old enough to learn that boys are pigs.
Merlin doesn't reply as he downs the contents of his drink before taking a step forward and taking her drink from her hands. He sets both glasses down on the glass center table and then turns back to her, taking a step towards her as a small smile plays on his lips. "I don't peg you as a woman who would sit around and let someone pick on you."
Her breath quickens. He's close enough that she just has to raise her arm and touch him or lay her hand against his chest. "No?" she asks curiously. "And what kind of woman did you have me pegged as?" she genuinely wants to know his answer to that question.
He takes another step, bringing him directly in front of her, and his hands come to rest on her sides. She's surprised to find that she doesn't have to fake her pleasure in his touch. His voice is barely above a whisper when he finally speaks, his lips hovering just above her own. "I think you're a fighter… and I think there's way more to you than meets the eye."
Morgana's heart beats rapidly, a mixture of arousal and fear seeping into her veins. An intoxicating combination. He's probably talking about her greater qualities, but she can't help but think that he suspects her already. There's no telling what he's thinking. So she does the first thing that pops to mind. She leans up on her toes and kisses him, gently at first, but then her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. He kisses her back with much fervor, their tongues meeting at the seams of their lips, mingling, tangling, massaging, and tasting. He tastes of liquor and some sweet and tangy flavor she can't quite put a finger on, but she finds that she doesn't mind it. In fact, she really likes his taste.
She groans as his hands move from her hips to the very top of her derriere, his fingers gently digging into her faux Monique Lhuillier clad skin. Their kiss becomes heated in a matter of seconds, and just as her hands begin to descend down the sides of his neck and over the buttons of his shirt, Merlin pulls away and looks at her with wide eyes.
His look is confusing. He looked… worried? He clears his throat and takes a step back before giving her a curious look. "Would you like to see your wardrobe?"
Morgana is a little disappointed at the turn of events, but she nods anyway, offering a smile. "Yes… Although, I wonder… why is there a woman's wardrobe in here?"
Merlin chuckles and shakes his head as he turns, leading the way towards the doors on the far side of the room. "Let's just say, that I can make things happen."
She's not sure what to make of that, but she nods anyway as she follows him.
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There was nothing in the closet that wasn't a designer dress or such, and Morgana finds herself wondering what she's supposed to wear to bed. She bites her lip as she looks around the large walk-in closet. Designer dresses, designer shoes, expensive jewelry, and accessories. The contents are pretty much worth thousands and thousands of money. More than she's ever helped steal in her life.
She jumps a little when Merlin's voice cuts through the silence. "Find everything okay?"
She blushes, nodding at him as he leans against the doorframe of the closet. His dark shirt is rolled up at the sleeves, 3 buttons open, and he's grinning at her in a very suggestive way as he folds his arms across his chest. "Errr, yes... I just," she gestures around the closet and laughs a little. "I thought you said you had everything."
He smirks, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Is there something missing?"
Morgana quirks her own eyebrows at him. "You don't expect me to sleep in a $3,000.00 dress, do you?"
"Ah." Merlin chuckles as he walks further into the closet and claps his hands twice. Suddenly, the entire right side of the closet opens up as the designer dresses flip over, replaced immediately by a vast shelf with an array of multicolored undergarments, racy and flimsy brassiere's and knickers, swimsuits and bikinis, and lacy, transparent lingerie. Her mouth is basically open as she further inspects the contents.
"Told you so." Merlin chuckles. He steps back and lets her pick out one of the more modest lingerie's. He shakes his head at her and chuckles, stepping up behind her so his front is nearly pressing into her back. His arms come around her waist, circling her front for a millisecond before moving towards one of the more revealing lingerie's he picks out a dark red one and holds it up in front of her. He then turns them both slowly, facing the tall mirror on the opposite wall. "If you're going to tempt me all night, you might as well go all the way." His voice vibrates through her body, and his breath ghosts over her skin as she takes the lingerie from his hands.
Again, his arms come to circle her waist, pulling her even closer as she continues to watch the both of them in the mirror. Her body trembles as he lowers his head, pressing his lips into her bare shoulder. His hands open, gliding over her abdomen as his lips move slowly to her neck, peppering her ivory skin with kisses.
In all her life, she doesn't think she's ever felt like this before. Like she's being consumed by him. Like every kiss he presses into her skin, is a brand being burned into her flesh, marking her as his.
She turns around, looking up at him through her lashes and giving him a shy look before pressing her lips into his. It's short and sweet, and everything it shouldn't be. "I'm going to change now." She mutters, hoping to get a few moments alone so she can compose herself. This is already proving to be difficult and they've only been here for a few hours.
He grins, nodding his head. "I'll be in the bedroom." With that, he walks off, leaving her to her privacy.
That's when reality hits her in the face.
Am I supposed to sleep in the same bed with him?
She groans, already knowing the answer to that question. And the lingerie he picked out will probably ensure that they won't be sleeping anytime tonight.
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A/N: I know it's a little short like the previous one, but I wanted to really get the story into the mood in this one. Next up, a little more romance and a pinch of smut perhaps? Who knows? Review and let me know what you think! Also, requests are welcome!
-McDiggin'It