A/N: Wow! So much feedback. Thank you very much. I'm so happy to be writing something that you guys are enjoying. I love it! I wrote a majority of this tipsy, so I'm very not sorry about that. Just letting you know. Happy Halloween!


Limes with Lipstick


I'm not calling you a liar, just don't lie to me
I'm not calling you a thief, just don't steal from me

Chapter Seven: Betrayal

The moment she moved was the second she regretted waking up in the first place. Everything hurt, but at least she didn't feel sick. Several times throughout her dream, she'd watched herself fall. The shocked expression on Jared's face was devastating as it replayed. He had been inches away from grabbing her, so close that she'd felt safe. Being afraid was customary to her, as it had followed her throughout her entire life.

Acting tough and being tough were two separate things. Why did it seem like Jared could tell the difference?

It was the middle of the night when she saw the digital clock on the bedside table and the room was dark for the exception of the hallway light. It was Jared's hotel room. How or when they arrived, she couldn't remember. She'd envisioned the actor picking her up in bridal fashion and whisking her away to comfort.

That wasn't his style though. She was not blinded by his caring and generous behavior from earlier. Every man was prone to save a damsel in distress. The sincerity he'd shared with her at the pub was just a simple slip of his defenses. He would be back to his usual dickish behavior in no time, especially since she felt better.

She turned over in search for a cold spot on the pillow. Jared was next to her asleep with his head on his arm. He breathed lightly, his face one of contentment, as he remained oblivious to the pair of eyes transfixed on him then. In truth, she'd never been close enough to study his features. No, if you get too close, you'll get burned – that type of analogy.

Those alarms in her head were silent, as she inched closer to him, and carefully reached out her hand. He'd touched her without reservation plenty of times. It was childish to settle scores by treading over the smooth skin of his cheek. She traced her thumb with slow precision along the bridge of his nose to the curve of his top lip.

His mouth parted at the light pressure of her finger, as he pressed a kiss against it. The girl's reaction was to pull away on instinct, when his hand shot out and he grabbed her by the wrist.

She was caught quite literally and refused to look at him, although she was able to feel his eyes burning into her skin. Why did she bother hesitating anymore? Her fingers closed into a fist and she made a decision, as she pressed herself against him, and kissed him softly.

Their kiss was slow at first, a pressure that gradually deepened, when he sighed against her mouth, and filled his lungs with her breath. He moved his hands through her hair, keeping her still, while he teased the tip of his tongue between her lips, until they parted for him. She felt lightheaded by him, as he turned so that he could press her more firmly into the mattress. The weight of his body was comfortable, as his hips settled between her thighs, causing necessary friction.

His hands felt strong across her skin, although he was aware of how careful he had to be, and for two different reasons, one being that she was injured, and the other was that she could run away at any moment. A part of him almost guaranteed that she would, but the more selfish side of him wanted to take all that he could, for as long as it lasted.

His words teased across her lips in a low and heady breath, "I want you to touch me, like I'm touching you…" He skimmed his fingers beneath the hem of her shirt for the emphasis, his short nails digging into her soft skin, inching the fabric up with every rough caress.

Her arms felt numb then, unable to move. If it was one thing she was clumsy at, it was this – the act of sexual congress. While most individuals allow their animalistic urges to overcome them, she'd always thought way too damn much.

Their lips separated so that he could remove his shirt, pulling it up from the collar, and dropping it to the floor. She could feel the heat from his body through her clothing, as he pressed himself against her, warming her through instantly. Hesitantly, she brought her hands to his back, feeling his over his shoulders, and down the length of his spine.

He sucked in a breath, surprisingly sensitive to the slightest touch. It had given her a foreign sense of power, one that wasn't about to last too long. He closed his fingers around her wrists and held them above her head. She flushed beneath the accusatory glare he'd fixed on her and leaned up to kiss his mouth in quiet retaliation.

The small gasps and moans he pulled from her drove him into an inescapable darkness. He had always thought of passion as being pitch black, because it was infinite and whole. He dragged his lips from her mouth to the side of her neck, claiming her in several spots. Her skin bruised easily, as he'd seen from earlier. He pulled back long enough to admire the red marks that had formed wherever he touched.

She wouldn't be able to deny it or forget, at least not for a little while. The grin on his face was smug and infuriating. It was shameful how much she wanted him, how loudly she was panting, and how noticeable it was that she was trembling. The heat she felt in the pit of her lower stomach grew tight, aching.

It was terrifying.

The thought of giving herself to him was… absolutely…

No…

She tried pulling herself away from him.

He released her arms the moment he felt her tense up. She stopped kissing him and as he stared down at her, he could see the fear and doubt in her eyes. Words weren't spoken, as she scooted out from beneath him, and stood up from the bed. She found the light switch and looked around for her things, as if her abrupt actions were normal.

The shirt she was wearing wasn't her own. "You dressed me in this?"

"You dressed yourself in that," he commented, pulling the sheets closer to his lower half. The last thing he wanted to reveal to her, although he was positive that she must've felt it, was his erection. "You can borrow it if you'd like…"

She nearly tripped over his shoes, spotting a nice set of slippers along the way. He nodded at her silently, giving her the 'go' to take them with her as well. What with her losing her heels during her tumble, she was going to need them.

"I don't think I've ever helped a woman run away from me before."

She looked at him apologetically, "Look, it was nice to be wanted, but I'm not it. I know I'm not it. Once you sleep with me, then it's over. That's how it always is and those few times in my life, thinking that I was with the right guy, I was just oblivious to the harm that was being done, but I can't be stupid enough to knowingly step on the glass this time."

"You're right. I'm glass. I'm fucked up and I have a history." He got up to his feet, the sheets sliding away from his body – his gorgeously toned body. Hell if it wasn't distracting. "I hurt people and I don't care in what fashion, so long as it destroys them. Do you know how far down I've sunk not to be able to hear my family, my friends, or my fans? How is it that I can hear you?"

They stood there staring at each other in silence. This was not Jared Leto's redemption. There was no way in hell, in his mind, that he could ever be redeemed. He didn't know where the words had even come from. His black little heart, was it? Or was this another game of his? Not even he could tell if he was being sincere or not.

He looked away from her, which seemed to break the spell, since she was able to function again. She grabbed her bag from the chair and spared him one last look, "I'm sorry."

It was a bitter relief that he hadn't stopped her from leaving. If he had, she probably would have stayed, even if it went against her own feelings. That was what he did and that is why he was dangerous to be around.

As she made it to the lobby, the staff behind the front desk waved her over. "Yes?"

"The gentleman in room eleven-twelve requested that we call you a cab. Please wait here, until it arrives." The woman behind the desk gestured towards the seating area. Was he serious? Taking care of her the whole way through, huh?

"How did you know…"

"He said to look for 'a woman wearing slippers and a jean button up shirt'. Plus you two always walk in together." She leaned over from across the desk, her perfect blond hair falling to one side. "Tell me, what is it like working with him?"

Well, this question never gets old.

"Have you ever found a five dollar bill on the street, a penny facing up, or a four leaf clover? It's like winning tickets to a STOMP concert or an all expense paid vacation to the Bahamas or Hell." The woman looked at her oddly at the last bit, not sure what to make of it. "Oh, I meant Hell, Michigan. It's a wonderful place. You'll have to go there sometime."

The cab arrived the moment she was semi comfortable in one of the many impossibly stiff chairs that the hotel had to offer. Once she was inside the car, the first thing she thought to do was to check her phone, scrolling through the missed calls, and messages.

It was too late to call anyone back. The ride to the venue was silent and somewhat relaxing, as it had started to drizzle. It reminded her of earlier, when he'd carried her through what had felt like a proper storm at the time. She paid the driver and stumbled her way into the lot. She was starting to feel her fall worse than she had before, just like Jared told her would happen.

Bastard…

She unlocked the door to her trailer and would have loved to sink down to the floor dramatically, but her body hurt too much to do that. She was in too much pain to feel sorry for herself and too damn tired to cry, or to care.

She landed face first into her pillows, closing her fingers in the shirt she'd apparently stolen from him, and squeezed hard at the front pocket covering her heart. It was moments later that she'd succumbed to the comfort of sleep.

Let's not dream of him.


"I'm going to close my eyes and count to ten," the girl said, explaining the not so complex rules of Hide and Seek. Jared allowed her to think that she'd taught him something new, like it was a game that he hadn't played a thousand times before during his own childhood. "I'll count really slowly while you try to hide. When I call out ten, I'll come and find you."

He would have preferred to be out on his date tonight. Unfortunately, he was stopped to babysit the brat again. It was starting to become more frequent, but he didn't have the heart to disobey his mother.

The girl's parents were in the middle of a divorce. He'd never met her father, but he knew that her mother was working hard by herself. Sometimes she wouldn't get in until after eleven. At least he was welcomed to the fridge and cable all night.

When she started to count, he slipped out the backdoor, and walked around to the front of the house. He'd called Lindsay Baker on over, so that their date could happen anyway. It just wouldn't be the atmosphere he'd imagined initially.

He waited and was able to hear his name being called from inside the house.

That little voice…

She would probably start crying soon. Predictably.


The actor had slept like complete and total shit, a habit he thought he'd put behind him by strict regimentation. He tried like hell to get rid of his insomnia. After handling things with the front desk, he'd stood under the hot spray of the shower with his hand closed around himself. Her moans echoed off the walls around him. He could still see the flush of her skin and taste her on his lips.

Relieving himself with the addition of the shower made him feel exhausted physically, but he couldn't turn off his thoughts. He'd filled his life up with so many things. He made it so that he was busy all of his life, for the rest of his life. There was no room for anything else. He didn't want to need anyone.

It wasn't the first time he'd been enticed by a beautiful woman. They seemed to follow wherever he went. If he had a problem with other guys, it was usually over a woman. If he wanted to have sex, it was easy enough for him to achieve. Why should he need anything more?

When he thought of his assistant, he thought of her as someone who was safe. She was the girl you would want to store away for the future, ten years ago, for him. He was already in his early forties. She was young and had her whole life ahead of her. She deserved someone who would want marriage and children – why the hell was he thinking of this shit?

He would have her, only once, if he could, because fighting it off was useless.

The knock on his door interrupted him from his thoughts. He opened it without bothering to look, seeing a man standing there in a crisp black suit.

"Hello, Mr. Leto. I'm the one who called the tow company for you last night."

Mr. Leto… It was the male version of her.

"Thank you for doing that for me. I take it that everything went well?"

"Very much, sir. The reason I'm here is because they found some of your belongings in the car. I've come to return them." The man extended his arms with one of the actor's cardigans and what appeared to be a simple white envelope. "Thank you for your time."

"Thank you," Jared said and closed the door once the guy had left. He placed the cardigan over one of the chairs and brought the envelope with him. There was nothing marked on the outside of it that would indicate as to its owner. He knew that it didn't belong to him and yet he opened it anyway. Technically it wasn't official mail and he wouldn't feel sorry for reading something that was left in his car.

It was a letter that was addressed to him and it read:

Jared,

I would like to thank you for this tremendous opportunity. Being your assistant has taught me various things that I will take with me to my next endeavor. I will never forget your patience and kindness towards me. However, due to a personal matter, I have decided to resign from my position starting Monday morning.

Thank you.

Well, that was awkward. He folded the paper back up calmly and tucked it into the pocket of his jeans. How ridiculous and unprofessional. He got the vibe that she'd never had to resign from a position before. This wasn't a grocery store or the local diner she'd decided to quit from. There were procedures to be upheld.

She didn't even write her name or think of sending it off to his agency, but to him directly. How personal, irresponsible, and brainless! Her lack of experience in what appeared to be every aspect of her adult life annoyed him.

Fuck, he was angry.

And he had to be in makeup in two hours. It was enough time for him to get his point across. He grabbed his sunglasses and called for a driver. Asking her to come and get him was out of the question. He needed time to mull over her resignation. Sure, she hadn't handed it to him yet, but he enjoyed the somewhat guilty foresight.

He didn't like to lose at anything, since he was competitive by nature.

'Tremendous opportunity,' His mind taunted him, 'Patience and kindness. She's so full of shit.'

If she was going to quit, perhaps she would find herself fired before then.

Because Jared Leto never loses, even in cases such as these…


TBC