Chapter 17

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Zhen's POV.

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I stirred in my bed, knowing by the light behind my closed eyelids meant it was morning. I squirmed a bit, feeling crowded by something, and subconsciously began to shove it aside to provide myself with more space. Whatever it was, it was large and surprisingly warm…

My eyes popped open, suddenly wide-awake, and I looked over my shoulder at the man lying next to me. Declan was sound asleep and still fully clothed. It was then I recalled the events of the night before. I slapped myself on the forehead for falling asleep at such a momentous occasion. How could I fall asleep?

I looked at my lovely man, wondering if he had taken it badly. God, I was so stupid.

My moving had made him fidget as well and in his sleep he pulled me closer to him, like without me he felt cold. I stroked his hair lovingly. He looked peaceful when he slept.

At my touch, he grabbed the hand that was on his face quick as lightning, like I was an assailant, and flipped me over quite suddenly in a pin.

"Declan!" I called in surprise. "It's just me!"

He let me go at once, climbing off me with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry," he mumbled with a sleepy yawn.

"Don't worry about it," I assured him as he laid back down beside me. "I would have done the same thing."

He stared back at me with sleep still in his eyes, and smiled.

"I'm so sorry about last night," I said, feeling uncomfortable under his unwavering gaze. "Thanks for staying with me."

I began to climb over him, meaning to head for the kitchen to make him breakfast, but he grabbed the end of my white satin shirt and pulled me back onto him, planting his mouth on mine.

"Don't you want breakfast?" I asked him, pulling away just long enough to speak.

"I'm already havin' breakfast," he said. I looked at him with confusion, so he proceeded to explain by tracing my jaw with his mouth, and I got his meaning quickly.

I giggled, something I never did because I thought it too girly. But under his tickling tongue and teeth, I couldn't help myself.

Then I realized I was sitting on his stomach, just about straddling him. My cheeks suddenly fell hot… with him it just felt so new to me. He sat up with me still in his lap, and held the small of my back as he kissed me deeply, and then he took off his shirt. I knew what was coming next. I was getting a second chance at what I missed last night.

For every article of clothing he shed, I did too, until we were sitting on my flat little twin bed in our underwear. It was quite exhilarating. He was already sweating and I couldn't breathe.

As we kissed passionately with me still on top of him, he was about to strip his boxers next when I heard a ringing in my purse.

I broke away from him, this time feeling an equal amount of sorrow in doing so as he must have. I was very reluctant to stop.

"Sorry, I have to get that," I said very unwillingly. "It might be the agency."

He waved me on and I leaned over the side of the bed to dig in my purse for the phone.

"Hello?" I said, trying hard to make my breath sound normal.

"Hello? Zhen?" I heard the other end say. My heart plummeted as I recognized the thick Chinese accent. It was my sister.

Then it was decided. The world hated me.

"Oh, hi, sis," I said with embarrassment, my cheeks going flaming hot now. I looked at Declan for his reaction, and his eyes had gone wide, but he looked greatly amused at this, and seemed ready to laugh if it weren't for my prompting gestures to be quiet.

"What the matter?" her accent interrogated me on the other end. "Why are you breathing so hard?"

"I was…" I searched for an excuse. "Jogging. I just got back from jogging, Feng. Listen—I can't talk now--"

Declan snickered loudly, unable to hold his laughter in.

"Who is that?" she demanded. "Is that a man?"

"It's just my jogging partner, Feng… um, Steve. Steve Bailey."

"Are you lying to your sister, Zhen?"

"No, Feng, I'm not lying. I really have to go. Something's burning in the kitchen. I'll call you back later."

I flipped my phone closed to end the conversation, and let out a sigh of relief as Declan burst out laughing uncontrollably.

"Com'on," I scolded. "It wasn't that funny."

"Of all times fer her t' call…" he chuckled with disbelief. "Jogging… That's too much."

"Where were we?" I said to pull him away from the shameful subject, and leaned close to his mouth, nuzzling his nose with mine. But he insisted on still laughing.

"'Somethin's burnin' in the kitchen'…" he mocked. "God…!"

"Declan!" I rebuked and smacked him to get his attention focused.

"Sorry, sorry," he chuckled. I gave him a look, seeing as he was still laughing. He straightened up his face to look serious again. I didn't trust it, because I could still see the laughter in his eyes.

"Okay, fer real," he insisted. "I'm done, I promise."

He lifted his face up to mine and kissed me with an open mouth, just to further prove that he was over it. I received it gladly, that hot feeling returning in me.

When he reached for my black lace panties, the phone rang again.

I groaned from the depths of my stomach. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't have it.

"Don't answer it," he begged, still connected in a kiss.

It rang again.

"Please don't," he pleaded more when he saw I was beginning to pull away again.

"Sorry…" I said softly. I wanted to obey with every fiber of my being, but I had to at least check. I made sure I looked at the caller ID this time. It was indeed the agency, so I answered it quickly.

"Yes?" I said, as Declan sighed in frustration and plopped his head back down on my pillow, staring at the ceiling with flustered eyes.

"Zhen?" I heard Luther say on the other end. "Where have you been?"

"Trying to sleep," I lied. I tried my darndest to get a hold of my heavy breathing, so that he wouldn't recognize that it was a fib.

"Look, I know it's supposed to be our day off, but we're dealing with major issues down here. Lucas just nabbed Heron! She's taken her back to LA."

"WHAT?!" I said in surprise, sitting up fully.

"You need to get over here as soon as you can. I'm going to call Gormley next and tell him."

"No!" I said a little too loudly. "I… I will. I'll tell him."

"Okay, whatever. Just get your butt DOWN HERE NOW!"

I closed my phone and went to my closet to grab a suitable shirt.

"What happened?" Declan said, sitting up. I threw his jeans in his face.

"Lucas kidnapped Heron," I relayed the information. "We have to save her, before she gives her the 'Blues' poison. I have a strong gut feeling that she will."

"God!" Declan said with surprise, hurrying up with putting his jeans on, hopping a bit on one foot. "Did Luther suspect I was here?"

"I don't think so," I said with uncertainty, pulling on my own pair of black pants. "But that doesn't matter right now; we have a crisis on our hands."

"Right," he agreed. Suddenly, we both stopped at the same time, looking to one another after we realized we had both mechanically said something possibly hurtful to one another without thinking.

"We're still agents the next day," he repeated my own words I had spoken the night before. "Its just like you said."

He grabbed my face and kissed me hard, but quickly. After he let me go, I nodded determinedly.

"I'll take it however I can get it, Declan. Lets go."

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"You think we can do this?" he asked me as we walked up to the underground headquarters used in emergencies. It was a short walk through a subway station, down to a side door marked with gold letters that spelled: 'keep out'. He was just finishing tucking in his shirt, even as we walked. I had felt sad to see his beautiful bare chest go. Bench press was so good to him…

"We're agents;" I replied seriously. "We have to expect the impossible."

"Not the mission," he insisted. "…Us."

I looked at him after he had uttered that small, ordinarily simple word, yet so powerful the raw magnitude of its meaning to me. We were… 'us'. I liked the sound of it, maybe just a little too much.

"Just don't stare at me like you do and we'll be fine," I assured him.

"Sure," he agreed, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "As long as you stop scanning me over."

I frowned at him like I didn't know what in the world he was talking about and even threw in a little offense for good measure. He just smiled broadly in return, that mocking smile of his, probably knowing I couldn't defend myself in truth and seeming quite pleased at knowing this fact. In fact, in all the time of ever knowing him, I had never seen a happier expression on his face as the one that was staring back as me right now.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," I scolded him. "Stop looking at me!"

He laughed.

"Alright, alright…" he said, but his eyes were still locked.

"Stop it!" I tried to cover my own amusement to rebuke him. "I mean it, Declan…Shove it."

"Okay!" he said as he held the black agency door open for me. Inside, there was a single elevator, which required a pass code. I typed it in as Declan inspected his appearance in the silver elevator door's reflection to make sure he looked legitimate, straightening his collar properly and fixing his hair.

It was then I saw something by his ear that I hadn't caught before. Something pink. It was my own lipgloss. My throat tightened suddenly at what could've happened had I not noticed it… then gratefulness swelled over me at the luck that I had for noticing it before we went inside the agency building. I quickly went to him, licking my fingers and attacking the pink stain.

"What? What is it?" he asked with surprised confusion.

"My lipgloss is on you," I explained, rubbing it off with my fingers as a mother would clean her dirty-faced little boy.

He grabbed my hand, making us both freeze, and he stared at me with such love in his eyes. That look never got old. The elevator dinged beside us and opened up, waiting for us to enter.

"Stop it," I commanded Declan boldly, yanking my hand from his treacherous hold.

"Stop carin' about you?" he asked innocently.

"Stop looking like you do."

He nodded, and I couldn't help but suspect that we were surely and sincerely screwed.

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I liked this chapter too! Loved writing it-- so much fun. I hope you agree. Please review.

Signed,
--RedRogue