A/N: the smut follow-up to this story wil be in the next chapter! Ohohooooooooo

Meanwhile i hope you guys'll like this chapter! :D

CHAPTER 9:

Recap:

"A Mc Chouffe, it's a strong Ale beer, a bit sweet with a pinch of bitter." She explained and handed him a glass. He took it from her, making sure not to tense up as their fingers brushed over each other.

The blonde kept her eyes on him and studied his reaction as he took a careful sip. He licked his lips from the foam, drawing her attention to them momentarily as they shone in the dim light.

He hummed in approval at the full taste and the subtle sweetness interrupted by the occasional twinge from bitterness on his tongue. The woman grinned almost proudly at his nod and took a sip herself. With a gesture of his hand towards the door they left for the living room and settled themselves down in his worn leather couch.

"Was there enough food for the dogs?" Will asked, initiating the conversation carefully. Laura pulled up her one leg and curled it beneath her.

"No, actually. I had to go out to buy a new bag." She admitted airily, clearly not bothered by the fact she had to spend some extra money. Will's calm smile fell and he placed his drink on the table, picking up his wallet that was lying on it. Laura held back a sigh and leaned back, getting comfortable.

"How much do I owe you?" she grinned and took another sip from the alcohol.

"A dinner." She stated, making Will pause in opening his wallet and glance at her from over his shoulder. Her eyes shone with held back excitement, knowing he wouldn't decline since he would also feel the need to return the favor he now felt like he owed her.

He huffed and let out a laugh and dropped his wallet, taking hold of his drink again. He sat back and turned his head towards her ever so slightly.

"Real French cuisine, or fake?" A genuinely amused laugh left her at his reference and she shook her head, holding the stem of her glass with her one hand as the other took hold of the foot.

"Whichever holds your preference." She chuckled, making him smirk and nod.

"How come you were gone for over a month?" her tone was light and it was clear that he didn't need to answer her if he didn't want to. There hadn't been enough food for his dogs and things in his fridge had gone bad. Obviously he hadn't planned on being away for almost two months.

She watched him as his eyes darkened with frustration and anger, doubt setting his mouth into a thin line as he thought about telling her what she already knew. It was a test, she wanted to know what her boundaries were. Waiting patiently, she drank from the beer again.

"I had a case." He told her, eyes lowering to the foam collar in his glass that started to thin out soundlessly.

"And then I got fired." His sudden sneer startled her and she lifted an eyebrow at him. He must've really like his job.

"How?" she went on and watched his fingers brush away the condensation on his glass to keep him busy and distracted. Laura exhaled slowly and placed her glass on the table.

"You don't have to answer, my apologies. You want me to get some snacks?" as she was about to get up, Will's eyes snapped to her surprised. He opened his mouth to stop her but she had already stepped away. By now she knew he wasn't going to tell her he had failed the screening procedures for the FBI.

Will groaned to himself in dismay and took hold of his face with his free hand. You're screwing this up. He scowled and got up, downing his Belgian ale to make him relax and strode towards the kitchen. The black head found her breaking the chocolate bars into edible portions with as little sound as she could manage. Slowly he edged closer and came to a stiff stop behind her, feeling the alcohol's buzz creeping up from the back of his skull.

"I failed to catch someone and they knifed me." He admitted seemingly out of the blue. Laura dusted her hands off and threw him a look.

"Knifed? Was it serious?" she asked, successfully faking her shock, and looked him up and down. It mustn't have been, otherwise he'd be visibly in pain.

Will's curls swung slightly as he shook his head reassuringly. He had expected her to be a bit more startled by the news, but the shimmer of concern in her steely eyes seemed real enough. He saw herr shoulders relaxed and she took the bowl of chocolate.

He turned on his heels and lead her back to the couch. Laura placed the sweets between their glasses before sitting down. Without wanting to give it too much thought he sat closer to her this time. His simple change in proximity showed her that he hadn't taken any offence in her prying. Although his back remained stiff, being this close to someone wasn't something he was used to. The stabbing hadn't helped him with reducing his expansive personal-space-bubble either.

"Was it the first time someone attacked you?" he smiled incredulously at how she just went on with her questions after realizing she hadn't annoyed him.

"No. But being wounded like this was a first." She hummed and took a piece of chocolate. His legs tensed up as the leant over them slightly to get to the treats, his eyes following her fingers as she brought the chocolate to her mouth. When she ate it his gaze lowered to her exposed neck and clad chest.

"I was attacked during a sailing competition on my boat once. I can relate." She suddenly shared, he blinked at her words and changed his focus.

Involuntarily he made eye contact with her again, and in a split second he knew she saw him follow her movements. Her expression stayed neutral, not showing him if she was disdained of flattered by his wandering eyes. Will held back a busted grimace and reached for the candy.

"Oh?" he wanted her to explain, but she didn't have to. The blonde nodded, the hair that fell over her shoulder as she moved it away from the right side of her neck flickered with a golden flash in the corner of his eye. A doe stretches and exposes her neck during the mating-season to seduce their male counterparts. The information flew into his head and planted itself into his thoughts.

"I was stranded, no oil left and not enough of a wind to keep me moving. I was close to the South-African coast and a hand-full of pirates tried to take over." She was telling him something about her that was similar to his experience. She was trying to relate herself to him, showing him that she understood or could at least grasp what he had been through. People only do that when they try to get close to someone.

"Did you get captured?" his frown was heavy. He knew that African pirates often took hostages and then asked for ransom. Such events had taken place a few years ago and reached the news, if he recalled correctly.

"No. Only two got on board before I pushed the boats from each other with a paddle and when I knocked those two unconscious and pushed them into the water, the other six didn't feel like it was worth the effort anymore." She grinned, pride in her voice, he raised his eyebrows and turned toward her, careful not to stretch his stitches too much. This time he looked her in the eyes deliberately, steeling his mind and taking on the challenge of meeting her gaze.

"You scared off pirates on your own?" Her smile faltered ever so slightly at his uncharacteristic decision to look her directly in the eyes. Laura raised a wondering eyebrow at him and shifted in her seat, mirroring position as she angled her body at him.

"Adrenaline does amazing things." She answered, her voice quieter than it was before. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out if he was initiating what she thought he was or if this was just a small step.

"It sure does." He muttered back and kept hold of her eyes. It rattled her brain. She wasn't used to this, not from him. Her heart picked up, feeling his icy blue eyes boring into her mind.

A sudden, sly grin came onto her face, making him frown in return. Two can play that game.

"Do you like the chocolate?" his frown left him amused, she was onto him just as much as he was onto her.

"I do. It's very rich in taste." He complimented and tore his eyes from her to eat another piece. It was then that she noticed his empty glass and a smirk stretched her red lips. Oh, that may explain how he's so relaxed. She picked her glass up and drank some more, putting it back down right after. Maybe he had to drink some liquid courage. Her thoughts added with a laugh.

"I think we both know what they say about chocolate." She mused and bit down on a piece. He chuckled under his breath and watched her fold back into her comfortable position, her one knee almost touching his thigh.

He feigned raking his brain, causing her to laugh at how obvious it was what they were getting at. It was almost childish how they were now dancing around each other.

"Aphrodisiac." He concluded and saw her suck her lower lip, it slipped out from beneath her teeth, now slightly swollen and wet. Will's stomach clenched at the obvious hint and shot his eyes back to hers. She hummed back in confirmation, her hand darted out and tapped his knee.

"Correct." The lean woman praised and stared back with a challenge in her eyes. Laura's breath got stuck in her throat and she froze at the feeling of his broad hand grasping her thin wrist.

His pupils dilated and he tugged her closer softly. Laura licked her lips and in one fluid movement she slid closer and straddled his lap. Will lead her hands to his shoulders and she gripped onto them, confirming the fact that he hid his muscles under his layers. His own hands dropped to her thighs and lower back pulling her closer against him smoothly, keeping his blue eyes on her now green ones. Her breath against his cheek smelled of alcohol and his eyes lowered from her blazing ones to her parted lips.

He didn't need to hesitate anymore, it was already too late, he told himself. His eyes fell closed and he leaned towards her, Laura cupped his face and pressed her lips against his hungrily. She parted her lips for him when he licked them.