The evening brought a small but valuable piece of information from a willing informant. Oliver occasionally enjoyed a night off from intimidation. Roy still had contacts and occasionally went out, without a mask, and traded information, money or favors for what they needed. Between what he learned from a woman who advertised her unique services on a discreet website, and the small leads Felicity got from the police computer, they were getting closer to their quarry. The current target was rarely in the city; he worked out of The UAE and was very difficult to find. They didn't have a name for him yet, or even confirmation that their criminal was male, but the few visits to Starling with money moved from stolen boats coincided with six different men. Narrowing down the list took time and patience.
Oliver found himself driving past Felicity's apartment at around two in the morning. Her lights were off, of course, and he drove away. The urge to sneak in the window and climb into her bed had been strong. The thought of drifting off while holding her warm, soft body was tempting, and the thought of waking her in pleasant ways was even more tempting. Oliver returned to his own, empty bed and lay awake for another hour until he finally slept. His dreams were filled with golden hair, silky skin, and luscious kisses. He woke late, feeling like he'd barely slept. His back ached, his head felt fuzzy and he sported a morning erection and a sheen of sweat that required a cold shower to ease.
With Diggle out of town and Roy managing the monthly inventory and the weekly alcohol delivery for the club, Felicity had the Arrow cave to herself. She checked her sources and called Quentin Lance, asking a few questions and reassuring him that as soon as her information presented evidence of a crime taking place in the city, she would call him.
A pair of warm hands landed on her shoulders and began to rub, gently. She closed her eyes and hummed to herself, enjoying the familiar touch. Thumbs found the spots of tension in her neck and pressed deep, uncomfortable at first, and then easing the ache.
"You're really good at this," she murmured. "Where did you learn it?" she pressed her shoulders back into the soothing motions.
"Nanda Parbat."
Felicity pushed back from her desk and stumbled in her haste to move away from Malcolm Merlyn. She knew Oliver's touch and was certain it had been him. The assassin smiled at her, and pushed the now-empty chair back to the desk. "You looked tense; I was only trying to help."
"Stop approaching me, Mr. Merlyn." She didn't bother explaining she'd thought he was Oliver. He'd known what he was doing and was in the mood to play games. She also didn't bother to remind him of her feelings for him, he knew that too.
"I want only good things for you, Miss Smoak."
"I want only your absence."
Merlyn inclined his head and turned, walking away. Felicity felt a little light-headed and irritable. She paced, restlessly for several minutes before returning to her chair. She found herself perspiring despite the chill of the basement and found some tissues, blotting her face and neck. When Oliver did arrive, dressed in jeans instead of his riding leathers, she embraced him with relief.
"What's wrong?"
"Merlyn was here, he snuck up on me and I thought he was you." She told him about the unwelcome massage. Oliver drew his eyebrows together.
"That doesn't make sense," he said, rubbing his forehead.
"He's trying to mess with your head by messing with mine."
"He said he kissed you while I was away."
"Yes, several people did, Roy, Lance and even Nyssa; mostly comforting me when we thought you were dead," she said. "On the forehead or cheek, but Merlyn showed up in a restaurant to talk to me and when I left he acted creepy, said weird things and then kissed me, on the mouth and I left."
"Seriously?"
"Oliver I'm not lying, he said it himself."
"I believe you."
"I just assumed he was trying to intimidate me then, I don't know what he thought he would accomplish today."
"I'll talk to him." Oliver looked angry. Felicity shook her head at him.
"He probably wants to distract you." Her words made sense. Merlyn's earlier warning about having attachments to people made him sure that's what he was doing. He didn't like the idea of the older man touching Felicity. He pulled her into his arms and held her, rubbing her arms, gently.
"Nyssa kissed you?" he asked, mildly. "I would've liked to have seen that."
Felicity pushed him away and swatted his arm, but his joke broke her sour mood and she smiled. Pulling her work back up on the computer she gave him updates on their current quarry.
Oliver kept his hand on the back of her neck, stroking her soft skin while she talked. He walked away to remove his jacket and set it down. Felicity went to the medical chest and took out a few aspirin, swallowing them with the last of her coffee. Her head ached and she felt a slight chill, suddenly.
"Cold?" Oliver asked when she rubbed her arms.
"Yeah, I was feeling warm earlier, but now I think I need a sweater." She started towards her chair again, intending to put on another layer of clothing. Oliver sat in her chair and tugged her down onto his lap, turning them both to face the screen. He radiated heat and she relaxed against him. He placed his palms gently against her thighs while she ran a list of boats owned by their suspects against marinas in the ports from which the victims had been moored. It would take a while so she let the computer do the work and leaned back against Oliver's chest.
From her position on his lap, Felicity felt Oliver's erection through his jeans. She shifted her seat, causing him to groan. He slid his fingers up the inside of her thigh and under the bottom of her dress. He stroked her, boldly through her panties and moved his other hand up and over the front of her dress to cup her breast. She shifted on his lap again and he tugged her dress up to her waist.
"Roy's not going to come down here while the club is filled with people," Oliver said when Felicity started to protest, weakly. "Digg's not going to be back for a few hours." He shifted her forward and unfastened his belt and his jeans. His heart pounded in his chest with excitement when her fingers gripped his thighs. He took a condom out of his pocket; he'd been keeping a supply handy since his carelessness in her apartment. He pushed her panties down her hips with one hand and tore open the packet with his teeth, rolling the latex onto his erection.
Felicity kicked her panties away and felt Oliver pull her towards him, leaning her back against his chest. She lifted herself and let him find the right spot before sinking down on him, impaling herself. Slowly they rocked together, moving gently, adjusting to the position and being careful of the arms of the chair. Oliver parted her legs and rubbed gently, stimulating her. She rose and fell, awkward at first before he moved to match her rhythm. His mouth was on the back of her neck, kissing her shoulders, and grazing her with his teeth.
"I can't- I'm not-" she began, shifting impatiently. Oliver stood in one fluid movement and she grabbed the table for support. He leaned over her back and began to thrust harder, making her sigh with relief as the much-desired friction began.
A slight buzzing and light-headed feeling came over Oliver and he picked up his pace, gripping Felicity's waist, firmly and pulling her back onto him. She made a low moan an started contracting around him right away. His surprise at her quick reaction had him climaxing too. He came with a groan and panted, trying to catch his breath. His heart was still racing and he placed a hand on his chest, taking a few deep breaths to try and slow it down.
Felicity's legs wobbled slightly as she made her way into her office. She'd needed to stop at her apartment to shower, quickly and change. She'd worked up a sweat with Oliver and smelled of sex. Her knees still felt a little rubbery but she sat at her desk and uploaded the security software they were trying out. She had set up a dummy computer connected to several other hard drives to use as security testers. She would install the programs and then try to hack them. So far this one was the best but it eventually cracked.
Training with Merlyn helped Oliver focus his anger, he felt more effective and certain while he channeled his energy into something physical. The assassin moved efficiently and without any wasted movements, and he shifted his weight to his advantage. He wasn't as lean as his opponent but used the additional bulk to land harder blows. He also had an uncanny spatial awareness; learning his style at a slower, repeated pace showed the younger man where he needed improvement. He understood how Thea had become a competent combatant in just a matter of months. Merlyn was a very good teacher.
"Your focus is better today." The observation came with repeated blows from the practice sword.
"Putting time into learning a skill usually does that."
"Did you sleep with her?"
Oliver was ready and expecting Merlyn to try to break his concentration.
"Sleep? No."
"I can hardly blame you," his opponent said. "She flies under the radar, that one."
"Slade Wilson found her appealing once he got close to her," Oliver's lips peeled back in a fierce grin. "Then she stabbed him in the neck."
"A truly rare flower," Merlyn smiled too. "Lips as soft as rose petals." He stood upright and closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply through his nose. "I'm an old-fashioned guy, myself," he continued. "Pretty faces can be bought, but she has class, intelligence, and loyalty and she smells amazing. You're a lucky man."
"Why are you so focused on Felicity?"
"Because you are."
"Is that why you kissed her?" Oliver narrowed his eyes at the older man. "If you did it when she thought I was dead, I'm surprised you still have lips."
"Ms. Smoak made her feelings for me quite clear before that meeting. She was the one who brought up the subject of kisses, and I offered my condolences to a woman who clearly loved you."
"I can see your motivation for doing it to stir things up between Felicity and me now; but I'm trying to figure out why you would do it if you thought I was dead."
Merlyn smiled slightly but said nothing.
Oliver felt a chill run through his stomach as it occurred to him that the assassin might be interested in Felicity. His Felicity. He resumed their exercises, but his mind continued to creep back to her and he started to question the man's motivations.
"You've lost focus." Oliver was on his back with the tip of a wooden sword pointed at his heart. "It took very little to make that happen."
"Why did you kiss her?"
"I don't have to say another word to distract you. All I had to do was plant a seed in the back of your mind." He removed the sword and walked away, hanging it up with the other weapons. "You don't need to stop loving her, Oliver. You need to accept that you can't control everything. She might die by hundreds of means that have nothing to do with you and you can't predict or prevent any of them. Letting go of your attachments doesn't mean you don't love her or stop trying to protect her. It means you accept that life will end for everyone and that other lives will go on. You fighting a duel won't change what's going to happen."
"I know that."
"You might know it, but you don't believe it yet." He jerked his chin towards the door. "We're done for the day. Think about letting go of the things you can't control."
Oliver nodded and refrained from asking about the kiss again.
Felicity was changing into a cocktail dress when Ray Palmer entered her office.
"Felicity?"
"I'll be out in a sec." She had a small, folding screen that protected her privacy, temporarily. She didn't like changing in the bathroom with such a nice dress. She smoothed the midnight blue, silk over her hips. The cut was very simple, the fabric and color did the work of looking expensive. She slipped on pearl earrings and a matching necklace. They were a soft, pale gold and complimented her coloring. She slipped on strappy gold heels and stepped out into view.
Ray whistled appreciatively. She picked up a small clutch from her desk and put in her wallet and a spare lipstick. She wouldn't need her computer to meet a potential engineer they wanted to hire. Felicity liked the idea of wooing the best talent from other offices, but she believed in being direct about it. She'd made the call to Jess Hews, the young, talented head of an eco-engineering team that had recently made some waves in the Midwest with wind power.
Felicity had asked her to have drinks and dinner with herself and Ray; she'd been blunt that they wanted to ply her with alcohol while they shamelessly competed for her skill against her current project choices. Jess had readily agreed to the wooing and had wisely suggested an expensive restaurant in Starling's nicest hotel. Ray hadn't minded since he was a silent partner in the hotel.
"Like?" she asked, moving her arms away from her sides and drawing her hair to the side and fastening it on the side of her neck with a clip.
"You look stunning." He offered her his arm and she settled her hand in the crook of his elbow. As they descended together in the elevator, Ray turned to glance at her, in a distracted way. "Are you wearing a new perfume?"
"Bought it a few weeks ago," she replied, handing him her coat. He held it for her while she put her arms in the sleeves. His hands rested on her nape for a moment and she felt his breath on her ear when he leaned down.
"I like it." His voice was soft, like a caress and Felicity blushed. They left the elevator and walked through the lobby. He nodded to his driver who opened the back door to the Audi sedan they'd ride in this evening.
"Any plan for the wooing of Jess?" Felicity asked.
"Order champagne, get her drunk, take blackmail photos of her doing a keg stand?" Ray watched her with an unreadable expression.
"Good plan," she said, then she nudged his knee when it brushed her thigh and crossed one leg over the other, giving the big man some space. She checked her phone for messages and sent one to Diggle, informing him she'd be in a dinner meeting until late and to please contact her only in an emergency. She glanced at her companion; Ray's eyes were fixed on her legs. She found herself blushing a little under his gaze. She found him appealing but even if she hadn't been seeing Oliver, she knew getting involved with the President of Palmer Tech was a bad idea. "Ray?" she prodded, nodding out the window as the car slid to a stop.
"Right." He blinked and smiled, quickly. They entered the restaurant and were shown to their table. "So, am I good cop or bad cop?"
"You're rich cop, I'm sexy cop," she joked.
"You think she swings that way?" Ray looked at her, surprised.
"Maybe, but I'm sure that Mike Robbins, her chief civil engineer is male and very straight." She waved her phone at him. "You said it was pretty likely she'd want to bring some of her team, Mike is her right-hand man." She didn't need to flirt with anyone during meetings to hire them. Palmer offered the best.
"Does sexy cop have handcuffs?" he murmured, sliding her chair in.
"She has a stun gun," Felicity replied with a smile. "Behave yourself, Ray."
They greeted their guests who arrived at the restaurant; Felicity had been correct, Jess had brought Mike, the Civil engineer. They ordered drinks and chatted about personal matters, getting acquainted and relaxed with each other. Jess was warm and friendly but shrewd and when they got down to business, she had a lot of questions; the most pertinent was how much Palmer Tech could challenge her. Mike added little to the conversation at first, a few clarifying remarks, but Ray noticed him edging his seat towards Felicity's and felt a chilly frost enter his chest. The engineer seemed to be aiming most of his questions at the pretty blonde. He also angled his body in her direction and eventually rested his hand on the back of her chair.
Ray ended the evening abruptly but garnered a promise for a personal tour of the building and a detailed explanation of the projects he lined up. Felicity was surprised when her boss paid the check and took her elbow, steering her from the restaurant. He ducked into the cocktail bar on the other side of the lobby and pulled her into a dark corner.
"Ray, what's wrong?" Felicity looked concerned.
"Your 'Sexy Cop' routine was getting a bit too effective."
"Mike was getting friendly, but he wasn't making any inappropriate remarks," she replied. "What's really going on here?
Oliver spoke with Diggle who told him about Felicity's plans for the evening. He wondered why she hadn't mentioned it but reminded himself that he hadn't asked. He sent Roy out again and stayed close since the younger vigilante didn't bring his bow or mask. The criminals they were currently tracking were modern pirates. Their targets were carefully chosen and watched before a score. Sometimes they held hostages for ransom and other times they'd force the owners to electronically empty their bank accounts. Starling City seemed to have a connection to the crimes. The crews were frequently hired from the sailors who hung around the docks.
Arrow and team were following their lead suspects electronically on one end and tracking down some of the crew members locally. Argus would handle the heavy lifting, an unusual arrangement but one that suited both parties. Tonight they weren't very lucky; several of their leads vanished, either eliminated as witnesses or hired for another job. They'd have to apply pressure to the suspects and get better information on them. Oliver changed and sent Felicity a text. When he received no reply, he swung by the hotel. He watched her being ushered though the lobby by Ray Palmer and enter a dark, intimate bar.
"I don't know," Ray said, rubbing his forehead. "I honestly don't know." He stepped away from Felicity and paced away a few steps and back. His suit looked for too constraining for the restless posture he held. Uncharacteristically, he rubbed a hand through his hair, nervously. She noticed a fine sheen of sweat on his brow, unusual, since he was always so cool under pressure.
"Is something bothering you?" Felicity reached out and touched his arm, briefly, he shook it off and she sighed, walking to the bar and ordering a glass of wine. She slapped down some cash and took her glass back to where her normally reserved friend stood. "This is just adding to the surreal events going on in my life." She took a swallow of the red wine, and set the glass down, brushing a tiny drop from the corner of her mouth.
Ray picked up her hand and stared at her thumb where the tiny drop of liquid looked black in the low light. Felicity pulled her hand away, quickly. Her face felt flushed and she wanted to get some air.
"I think I need to leave." She took her purse and walked out of the bar. When she reached the curb, she felt a warm hand on her elbow. She turned and opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Ray's lips. His hand cupped her face and held her while his mouth moved over hers. He stopped and stepped back, shaking his head, slightly. She stared at him, rooted to the spot.
"Take the car straight home, Felicity," he said, backing away from her. He fisted his hands at his sides. "Turn in early and if I show up at your door, don't open it."
"I-I don't-"
"I'll see you in the morning." He turned and walked away, stiffly."
Felicity sat in the back of the car and gave the driver her address. She mulled over the events of the evening in her head.
"When it rains, it pours," she said to herself. "She'd been virtually dateless for the last few years and suddenly men were coming out of the woodwork. Frankly the women were too, if she was being honest. Something wasn't right about Ray. He hadn't had a lot to drink and she'd seen him hold his liquor in the past.
Felicity tipped the driver and walked quickly to her apartment. She turned Ray's warning over in her head while she unlocked the door. Before she could push it closed behind her, a heavy body came through.
"Felicity."
"Oliver." She was surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"
"Expecting someone else?" he said, coldly. He reached for her, closing his hands on her upper arms and pulling her to him, kissing her, fiercely.