This story was really meant to be all Declan POV, but you guys wanted one of Zhen and her view of the 'kiss', so here you are, just for you:

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Chapter 5.

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Zhen's POV.

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While I waited for the call from Luther to go get Declan, I leaned casually against the bar. The party around was pretty mild and intimate, as all high class parties were. Most of the guests danced to the slow music, or examined expensive paintings on the walls, or chattered about the worries of very rich people, which weren't really worries at all.

"Buy you a drink, beautiful?" a tall, dark man nearby asked.

I looked at him as if I thought he was out of my league and thought on it some.

"Why?" I said in a French accent, which I sucked at. "Surely you have anozer beautiful woman you came with?"

"None, my dear. Was just waiting for someone like you to come along. Girl like you likes wine, I would imagine."

He passed a drink my way, and I took it cautiously. It had been sitting there, and I had presumed it was his drink, but now I saw it was meant for someone else all along. Also, the way he said that last part made me nervous. Had he been waiting for me to come? I smiled gladly to cover for it.

"Luther run a quick scan on this," I said through my teeth, turning my head away from the man so he would see or hear. I acted like I was inspecting the drink, and waited for the go-ahead from Luther.

"Alright, ready," Luther said in my ear.

I casually ran my hand scanner over the top of the glass, and then held it under my nose and smelled it, while I waited for Luther's reply.

"You're right," Luther replied. "It's drugged."

He sounded upset, and I knew why. It was strike one against the mission. When things like these happened, things like the drink and Declan's elevator mishap, some of the more spineless leaders would call abort. I knew Luther wouldn't at this time, but the thought was now placed firmly in his head.

I sipped the wine just a bit, pretending to drink, but held the small dose under my tongue.

"Not my type of wine," I said as if offended, and headed for the ladies room. Once in a stall, I spat out the wine and sat underneath Martin.

"That's strike two, you know," Martin said above me. "One more and we're out."

"Yeah, I know," I replied. "I'm worried if they know we're here. They have to."

"This is our last chance to nail Lucas before she leave our line of sight for good. If I was Luther, I'd risk it too."

"Too bad it's not his neck on the line."

"I heard that," Luther said in my ear, and I simply smiled in reply.

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"Hello, gorgeous," Declan said to me in a French accent, holding out his arm for me like a true gentleman… or a really good imitation of one.
But that was Declan. He was a chameleon, a professional mimic, and a stone-faced actor. One could never really know what he was thinking. For days I wished that, even if for just a moment, I could know for certain was he was thinking… like what was deal with him and Roberta? I didn't want to ask him about it in case he thought I was being jealous or something ridiculous like that, but it was a mystery that plagued me. I wondered what his feelings were toward her really, and wondered why it mattered to me so much.

"Been waiting long?" he asked me in his usual smooth and sultry way.

"Not at all," I replied in my best French accent.

I nodded to the guards, and held my head high as we past, doing my best to seem like I belonged here.

But my mind was elsewhere. It was on Declan, and the scare he just gave me in that elevator shaft. Truth be told, he had just scared the hell out of me, and I was thankful he was alive. More than thankful, even. More along the lines of downright relieved. Declan had been right when he told me to let my breath go, because I probably would have never breathed again otherwise.

"How you doing?" I whispered to him, curious to know if he was hurt.

"I'm gonna need a appointment with a really good chiropractor," he replied. "Other than that, I'm fine."

He looked at me for a moment as we walked down the hall, and then grinned like an idiot, which utterly disconcerted me, but I acted like I didn't notice.

Suddenly, he tensed up, and hissed in alarm:

"It's Costales! Roberta, why didn't ya warn us?"

"He's gone out of my line of vision!" the woman's voice snapped back in our ears.

"Obviously," I agreed cynically, but inside I was fighting panic. "Declan, he's heading straight for us. Cover it."

Then, without warning, he shoved me into the nearby wall, nearly knocking down a painting behind me, and then began to gently kiss my neck. As I was trained, I played along as naturally as possible, but he had taken me by surprise.

His hand was on my cheek, and his other hand brushed my shoulder. His breath fell to my neck, and then he began to kiss me tenderly, with a practiced skill.

That's when I stopped being able to breathe. I had to force my breaths out so that I wouldn't pass out, but I couldn't fight my face growing hot and my palms falling clammy, no matter how I tried. He was really doing a number on me and he didn't even know it.

I watched as Costales passed, and wondered why Declan continued, even after the Spanish man was out of sight.

Oh, but it felt so good, and I didn't dare interrupt him. I couldn't deny myself the enjoyment of it all, since it was very likely never going to happen again. I was glad I was leaning again the wall, because my knees were buckling beneath me, and I was losing my ability to stand.
Then he stopped.

I let out a big breath as he pulled away, then held it again when he looked in my eyes with a look of confusion. I knew then that he had noticed my reaction to him, and I fell afraid. I stared right back, using the poker face that I was trained for. Somehow I doubted it was fooling him.

Was I falling for this man? In this job, that was a big no-no.

"Declan, Zhen, what you two doing?" I heard Luther say, but he seemed so far away. "Smartie's waiting… Go!"

I pushed him away immediately, and together we walked right into a nearby bathroom. My head was still in a fizzled whirl, but I did my best to focus back on the job, and I go to work kicking open every stall door of the bathroom to make sure we were alone. Declan headed straight for Smartie, like he wasn't even affected at all. How could he stay so level-headed? Maybe it was just an act, like me. I could only hope I was covering it as cool as him.

"Gotcha," I heard Declan say to Martin, as he started his Costales transformation by pulling on the mask of his face. "Let's hope I kiss like Costales, eh?"

"For all of our sakes," Martin agreed. "I hope you do too."

Oh, I hated him saying that. It brought a reality that in a few minutes Declan was going to be making out with some other girl. Declan glanced at me as if it was the last time he'd ever see me, as I quickly tried to shove the horrible images out of my head. After a minute, still he looked in my eyes bravely, and I wondered why he wouldn't look away. I crumbled under his unwavering stare.

"What?" I said at last.

"Suit yourself," he simply replied, shedding his tux coat and proceeded to unbutton his shirt. Then I realized he had just been waiting for me to turn around so he could close the bathroom door and change.

"You could say something, you know," I said with a sigh, closing the stall door for him.

"Well, I'm not really one for modesty over etiquette," he said with a cheeky tone. "Why be rude?"

I didn't reply, because I was too deep in concentration, busy fighting the temptation to just glance over my shoulder and take a peek at him through the broad bathroom door cracks. God, why did he have to be so handsome?

But I managed to harness my thoughts, and my momentary lapses of control were once again behind me. I forced my head back to business, and would have no more of the Declan infatuation nonsense.

I waited, my face serious, as he handed his clothes over the wall to Martin. After a moment, Declan emerged as Costales.

"This is it," Declan said in a gloomy tone. "Say some of those 'cat prayers' for me, eh?"

I smiled at him. A real, honest-to-goodness smile.

"Then you'll be sure to make it back," I said, more like a demand than anything.

I noticed Martin was finished getting ready as well, and had opened the door and stood staring at us. I cleared my throat nervously, and decided it was time to go.

"Com'on Martin," I said, trying to rush Martin as he put on a mask of Declan's face.

"I'll meet you later," I said to Declan, and made my way to the door. Declan went to the left as Martin (disguised as Declan) and myself headed right, and we parted ways.

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"So what was that all about?" Martin asked through his mask of Declan's handsome face and Irish accent, as we made our way through the party and casually to the exit. "Got something for this face?"

"What makes you say that?" I said, keeping my voice cool.

"You won't look at me." He said that in a teasing tone, but I knew he was seriously wondering about me. I hesitated to answer, choosing my words carefully.

"I wouldn't think on it, Martin."

"Whatever you say… You're secret's safe with me."

For the first time in that trip, I looked at him, ready to defend myself, but never got as far as to open my mouth. That face of his stopped me short.

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Next one is going to be Declan again, and then Zhen, and if all goes well I should switch off like that for a while. Be sure to tell me what you think!

Signed,
--RedRogue