TRIPLE UPDATE! - 1

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Sixty-Six; Unspoken Truths

It was like two sparking live wires finally clashing.

Seneca's lips moved insistently against hers, leaving no room for second thought or doubt.

Stephanie's hot blood already racing from their heated arguing felt like it had turned molten in her very veins as every nerve in her body ignited.

Her every sense was invaded with Seneca. Not the impersonal Mr Crane, nor the formidable President's son or even the blue-eyed Gamemaker she had thought she knew dangerously well already. Just Seneca…Seneca's lips on hers, Seneca's fingers sliding and tangling possessively in her hair, Seneca's body melded so securely against her own she was sure there must have been some chemical fusion of their cells.

After a few endless moments Seneca drew back, but only by a fraction, his nose brushed hers, his short, hot breaths caressing her swollen lips from his intense kiss.

"For damn excruciating hours I thought I had lost you completely. And there was not a damn thing I could do about it…" The biting anger from his tone had drained away completely, and his voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke. His hoarsely intimate words flowed into her ears like rough velvet as she struggled to rake in enough ragged breaths to keep her standing. She felt dizzy and light-headed like she was about to faint, and her legs were like liquid and oh god, what had just happened?! What did I just do? Did I really just let Seneca Crane kiss me – again?! And more than that – did I maybe even…kiss him back?

"Stephanie?" Seneca's lips grazed her own quivering ones for a second before he pressed a lingering kiss to them. His arms slid possessively low around her waist. Stephanie's eyes fluttered open dazedly. When the hell had she even closed them?! She saw her own white-knuckled fingers clutching the front of Seneca's blazer in greedy handfuls as though keeping the Gamemaker pressed against her was a physical need.

And Stephanie wasn't so certain that it wasn't in those moments. She felt sure she was going to faint at any moment, just simply drop to the floor and Seneca's support was the only thing keeping her standing. Her straitjacket dress and metal collar necklace were like suffocating constraints restricting her breathing.

"Stephanie…you haven't slapped me yet?" The silken murmur was just slightly laced with smugness and Stephanie felt Seneca's smile against her cheek where his lips were pressed.

The cold of the wall against her bare shoulders contrasted sharply with the heat of Seneca against her, his arms like silk encased fire around her and she couldn't stop the pleasant shivers that kept racing up her spine at the contrast.

"You have to stop doing this," Stephanie rasped, concentrating desperately on releasing the ebony silk between her fingers so she could step abruptly back out of the Gamemaker's embrace.

But before she could, Seneca had raised a hand to her face. His fingertips traced along her jaw lightly with a gentle pressure forcing her to raise her head and leaving a trail of tingling nerves with his light touch.

Stephanie gulped audibly when she met Seneca's cerulean eyes; like ice and fire all at once. She couldn't decide which description better suited the blazing blue. All she knew was that it burned.

"Stop doing what?" he murmured silkily, breath ghosting across her lips as he angled his head slightly. "This?" he queried lightly, just as he pressed his lips against hers once more. It wasn't the scorching fire of the first kiss though, it was slower, more thorough. As though he were mapping out every contour of her lips, memorising every dip and curve with the single-mindedness of driving Stephanie insane.

And Stephanie knew she could clench her fingers as tightly as she liked around the ebony, silk material in her hands to keep some sort of half-hearted barrier between her and Seneca. She could even fight to remain as stubbornly stiff as she could against her body's innate desire to simply melt against him. But despite her unreceptive posture and her white-knuckled fists – she knew irrefutably…she was kissing Seneca back. And what was more, she couldn't stop herself.

Stephanie leaned back, drawing in an unsteady breath.

"Seneca," Stephanie growled low in warning. Warning?! – A little late for that, don't you think Stephanie? Her thoughts queried sarcastically.

"You'll have to tell me exactly what I do that makes you say my name like that," Seneca murmured arrogantly against the curve of her jaw, nipping lightly. Stephanie gritted her teeth, her eyes like burnished caramel; dark with some heady emotion she dare not name. But she was adamantly and fiercely determined she would let no sound slip by her clenched teeth in response to Seneca's skilful ministrations.

Stephanie was sure she should have shredded the silk of Seneca's blazer still clutched within her barely shaking fingers, to pieces by this stage.

"Seneca," Stephanie repeated, "I said you have to stop this!"

Seneca raised his head, a few locks of ebony hair falling across his brilliantly blue eyes.

"I would if that's what I thought you truly wanted," Seneca replied immediately, as he held her eyes meaningfully. "I told you once I would never force you – I meant that."

Stephanie felt indignation rise swiftly, battling against the febrile heat in her body. She glared darkly at the Gamemaker. "That is what I truly want – I want you to stop!" she said angrily.

Seneca dipped his head lower for a moment, until a fraction closer and his lips would slant perfectly across hers. Stephanie felt her breath hitch, felt her heart thrumming like a hummingbird's wings. She swayed slightly where she was standing and Seneca's lips grazed hers with the barest touch. "Is this what you really want – for me to stop?" he murmured at a spine-tingling low volume.

Stephanie gritted her teeth determinedly. "Yes," she forced out, her fingers curling tighter around the black silk in her hands.

Seneca's nose brushed hers again. "Then why can't you let go of me?" he whispered, his burning gaze dropping to her hands that still clutched desperately at his blazer front.

Stephanie tried to warn Seneca as breathing became nigh on impossible for her. She struggled and strived but she simply couldn't get the needed air into her lungs. She winced as the almost familiar lancing pain tore across her chest and a shower of blurring white spots appeared across her vision amongst two brilliant blue points of colour.

Her death-grip on Seneca's blazer finally slackened and then fell away completely as Stephanie felt her legs weaken beneath her. She staggered forth into Seneca's startled arms.

"S-Seneca…?" His name slipped helplessly from between her numbing lips. Lips that tingled still with the memory of the Gamemaker's kisses, just as his voice rang in her ears.

"Stephanie!"

All burning, sensuous caresses were gone as Seneca grasped Stephanie as tightly as he could, fingers almost digging into her skin in desperation. He hauled her upright despite her trembling legs, arms like bands of steel about her shuddering form.

The pain in Stephanie's chest burrowed deeper, reaching new levels of acute agony, just like it had done before she fainted with Tain at the party.

"Stephanie, look at me," Seneca commanded. And Stephanie almost laughed hysterically. Look at him?! If she looked at him now, she would faint for sure…

Stephanie kept her eyes closed, trying her desperate hardest to fight back the faintness, to will the nauseating pain back. It felt like something was gouging a tear in her chest, almost ripping her apart.

"Stephanie – Damn it!" Seneca cursed harshly under his breath. His voice sounded more strained than Stephanie had ever heard it before. If Stephanie was forced to name the emotion tightening Seneca's usual languid drawl she would have said panic, but that couldn't be right? Could it? Why would the Gamemaker sound so panicked? She had fainted countless times before, including numerous times in front of him.

Stephanie gave a pained groan, barely aware of her surroundings, trying to claw her way back up to consciousness.

"Stephanie, listen to me," Seneca's voice sounded urgently in her ears. Stephanie waved a feeble hand aimlessly in a silent attempt to tell him to be quiet. She could no more listen to him than she could her own desperate thoughts!

Painful moment after moment crawled by as Stephanie pushed tirelessly against the looming wall of unconsciousness that was threatening to collapse over her, crushing her beneath its dark weight.

Another string of curses slipped from Seneca's lips. Stephanie managed to open her eyes to bleary slits as Seneca half-dragged her over to the nearest chair which she collapsed in gratefully. She immediately bent double, head almost lowered to her knees. She pressed her palm against her heart, breaths coming out in stuttering gasps as the familiar cloud of fear descended upon her, panic choking her throat.

"Stephanie, you can't faint," Seneca practically ordered her. His scent surrounded her as he knelt down in front of her. The gentle pressure of his hand pressed to the small of her back was a mild comfort. "Stephanie – don't." His words were softer, a plea rather than a command.

But she couldn't help it. Her heart had been racing ever since she discovered herself alone with him.

She fainted.