LOGAN: [Heh. She's been on pins and needles for hours now, waitin' on me to make my move. True to my word, I ran the team into the ground before we left. Half of them were noddin' off before we boarded. We've all had dinner. Lotsa drinks. I notice my Mississippi girl didn't eat much. Nervous, honey? She should be. I feel some trepidation about sharin' this with her now, but I ain't real big on moderation and I like takin' risks. Payoff's always better when you have to work for it. And it don't help none that she encourages me.]
Marie: [An exchange of intimate secrets with the Wolverine. I can't believe it's going to happen, now, like this. What is it about him that makes me want to walk on the wild side? He senses it in me. I know he does. That he's chosen this place where we could — and probably WILL be caught — and then not told me what he intends to demand of me is makin' me feel all fluttery inside. I hardly touched my food. All I can think about is him and what he's gonna want me to do tonight. He likes makin' me wait for it. Likes the anticipation of it. Likes the way it makes him feel to be in control... and to know I'll do my level best to make him lose control.]
MARIE: [I think maybe he chose this place to challenge himself, too. I know he's not a fan of flying. Never has been. He's put away quite a few drinks. That's kinda lighting my fire, too. He's not drunk, but he can be pretty unpredictable after a few real stiff drinks. Even more than usual. I like how it makes his mouth taste, too. Mmm… God, I hope it's soon. The wait is killin' me.]
LOGAN: [Flight's been pretty smooth. The cabin lights are off. The ocean is pitch black under us. Everyone settled down long ago. 'Ro and Hank are up front in the cockpit. Good, 'cause neither one of 'em showed up for gettin' their asses drilled into the ground earlier. Heh. The others are pretty well out and still I make her wait. She does it so well, too. Christ. She should see all the little things she does that tell me her mind is on me and nothin' else. Bitin' her lip. Sippin' nervously at her drink. Checkin' her watch. Squirmin' in her seat. Breathy sighs from time to time. And my personal favorite, tappin' that little foot of hers. Heh. Goddamn, I love that.]
Marie: [I could just kill him. He's a devil. A wild one. He's not only ramping me up, knowin' my mind won't be able to let this go but will continue to go round and round, he's also chosen to sit across the aisle from me so he can watch me squirm. Making no bones about letting me see he's watching. Dadgum bastard. I try so hard not to give anything up to him but I know I am. He's too good. Too smart. And that damn sparkle in his eye says he knows exactly what he's doing to me.]
LOGAN: [Taking advantage of her distraction, I look around one last time and decide the time's come. I snap my fingers at her. Once. (pretty damn rudely, too, heh) And simply point to the bathroom. I knew that would fire her up but the look she throws me is positively scathin'. I wag my finger at her when she opens her mouth to tear a strip offa my hide with that sharp tongue of hers. Ah-ah-ah. No hesitation. No lip, baby. Move that pretty little ass of yours. You're on my time now.]
MARIE: [Oh. My. God. Even as I feel a flare of anger for what is, in essence, a command one might give to a dog, I know he's done it just to fire me up. To provoke a certain reaction from me. I also know the unapologetic dominance in that gesture is a clear sign of his mood and what he wishes from me tonight. Dominance and submission. You think that's the game we're playing at? Wrong. It is an exchange of power. He never MAKES me do anything. He makes me WANT to do it, which is a hundred times more dangerous than using force to get a desired result.]
LOGAN: [Her eyes fight me but her body says 'yes'. I saw the subtle shift in her body language the second I snapped my fingers at her. She all but melted for me right there in her seat. And Christ, the way her scent changed? Fuckin' luscious. Eyes on fire though. Heh. She gives me control but the look on her face says she'll challenge me to keep it. She moves without hesitation. Good girl.]
MARIE: [With a single gesture, he's given me a new game. A new puzzle to solve. This time, there is the added element of possible discovery by a third party, lots of third parties, actually, which I have to admit kinda gives me a dirty thrill. I wonder what he'd do if he knew I had a fantasy about fucking him in the back of a cab downtown. Would he be shocked? I wonder. Looking at him now, I have the urge to bite the finger he's got wagging at me... but then he wins. That would never do.]
LOGAN: [Damned if she didn't eye my finger and lick her lips. I'm gonna pay for that snap, I just know it... and here it comes. She rose from that chair in some kinda sensuous movement that was half sex-kitten and half innocent. She knows that gets to me. She's a fresh snowfall. A blank canvas for me to mark as boldly as I like, and in whichever way I wanna. I see her chin come up. Walkin' away slow as you please, head high. She never disappoints. She's also holdin' her breath, which tells me she's so deep into this already and she don't want me to know just how bad I hooked her.]
MARIE: [The similarities between this walk and the walk I took down the hallway in his home are not lost on me. I might not be wearing a blindfold and boots this time, but he's still firmly in control. I haven't forgotten the lessons he taught me. It's a fact I don't find comforting because I know they are simply a base for the next level he wishes to take me to. Into the silence of the cabin comes a sound. Listening. My first lesson. I remembered. The sound stops me in my tracks. He's gotten up. I try to think what is the proper response, try to draw a parallel to the night in his home. I smile. I know what to do now. He'll want a sign of my willingness. Last time I was told to call out his name. This time I've been trusted to find my own sign. I hope he'll like the one I've chosen.]
LOGAN: [I can't help smile as I watch her. She's walked inside the bathroom and left the door slightly open. A little light streamin' out. My own private invitation. Nice. I like that. It spills out into the cabin but everyone is sleepin' on account of the way I ran 'em ragged earlier. I'm thankful the cockpit door is closed. For as much as I want this, I don't wanna rub Hank's nose in it. He's kinda soft on her.]
LOGAN: [This moment is pretty much just like I was hopin' it would be. She's standin' in the doorway, backlit real soft, watchin' me walk toward her. For a moment or two what's happenin' transcends the boundaries of the game we're playin' and I see her as she is; a light that guides wanderin' soldiers home. It's profoundly movin', and at the same time, makes me want what I have planned for tonight more than ever before.]
MARIE: [Just watching him walk toward me makes me shiver. There is such a sense of purpose in how he moves. A lithe grace that tonight is unforgivingly, unapologetically masculine. Dominant. Predatory. As he moves out of the shadows and into the wan stream of light, I feel both fear and excitement. What does he want from me? Will I be strong enough to give it to him? I sense something in his bearing that makes me take a step back. It makes me feel vulnerable. And always, in the back of my mind, discovery. Oh God.]
LOGAN: [As I move closer, she retreats... first one step and then another. That's it, darlin'. Run. It makes me feel good. Powerful. I drive her before me, knowin' that bein' in an enclosed space with me in this mood will only jack her anxiety up more. It's a subconscious feminine response— and one I'll use to my advantage tonight. I close the door behind us and prod her before me while never really lettin' her get too far. I want her on edge, wonderin' what I'm up to.]
MARIE: [He's crowding me. It hasn't escaped my notice that it's incredibly confining in here. The way he's invading my space is deliberate. He wants me to be a little afraid of him... and I am. He seems to fill up this small space in a way that manages to be both arousing and menacing. Two rules for tonight. No hesitation. No lip. He knows I have a smart mouth and yet I think tonight isn't about taking advantage of the fact I can't backtalk him. I think it's about something else entirely. I just don't know what it is. What the hell is he after?]
LOGAN: [I know she's wonderin' if I'll challenge her with somethin' she might wanna to give me lip about, but instead, I put my mouth on hers. She wasn't expectin' the kiss. She stiffens in my arms at first and then melts into me, but while her mouth is warm and soft and pliant, mine is demandin'. I want to hear somethin' from her tonight. No words. We won't talk. I wanna hear how she feels when I touch her. She hasn't yet realized the challenge isn't about what I'm gonna do to her. It's about holdin' her tongue while I do it so that we keep workin' at things said in silence. I want her to speak to me without words. I want to speak back. The Wolverine does, too. A true dialogue.]
MARIE: [I'm unsure what he wants from me. The kiss - it's almost shocking, searing in its intensity. He controlled it and I let him, glorying in the sensual feel of his mouth on mine and in the power I felt in him in that moment. Last time, he denied me his kiss until the very end. This time, it's his opening volley. Will I ever understand these games? I hope not. Playing them with him teaches me so much about him. About the Wolverine. About myself. About who we are together.]
LOGAN: [I break the kiss when I hear her breathin' begin to change, gettin' heavier, deeper, while she's meltin' against me so sweet. Startin' to rub on me. Tremblin' some, too. Christ, what that does to me. I slide my hand from her neck to her shoulder and exert a firm downward pressure. I want her on her knees.]
MARIE: [A wave of heat ripples through me and comes to rest in my cheeks as I realize what he wants. There are no words; just our eyes doing the talking. His hazel eyes smolder darkly with something wild, so deep and dark they almost look black. I remember the rules he asked me to abide by tonight and move without hesitation, slowly starting to sink down before him. I am unsure of my boundaries. Do I get to touch him? My hands reach for him tentatively as I begin to move, holding his eyes, looking for any signs of disapproval. I find none.]
LOGAN: [She's already testin' before she even comes to her knees. That's as excitin' as her touch. Curiosity and innocence. That fuckin' does it for me, bub. I feel tiny fingers draggin' over my jaw and down my chest, skimmin' over my sides and trailin' down my body as she kneels. I give my consent. She can touch. She just can't talk.]
MARIE: [I love to touch him. Still, even in this sexually charged moment when I have willingly placed myself in his power, I can't help but shine him on a little. Make him work to keep me in line. I tease his stomach with my fingers and slip them under his belt buckle, tugging upwards gently, knowing it will do all kinds of good things to what's directly south of it. Heh. God, I love our games. I always feel like we're learning something new. A different secret revealed every time.]
LOGAN: [The sparkle in her eyes tells me she's enjoyin' herself. I wonder if she's realized I'm attackin' her senses, one by one. Last time, I took her sight. Now I take her voice. I'm a thorough man. I know we're both looking forward to more of these games. There's laughter in her eyes, makin' 'em rich and warm. She wants to tease me. I know her too well. There's a question in them too. She wantsta know if I'm gonna storm her defenses like before. I swallow a smile. Not this time, darlin'. This time you're gonna give it up to me so sweet.]
Up next: Rocking Around the Christmas Tree. Just how high can they build that house of cards before it all comes crashing down?
Sorry, y'all. I was aiming to get this up last night but reality decided otherwise. Also, I got a Kindle for Christmas and apparently it's impossible to write whilst reading. It's kinda scary. The more I read, the more bunnies seem to jump on board. I foresee a lot of sleepless nights in the future! (My WolverineMuse heartily endorses this. Heh.) Onward!