The Room Upstairs

A/N: This chapter is rated M so be aware of certain adult situations.

"It's one of those boring parties, you know? Dozens of old men with their wives talking about important things. It's really boring" Mia said to Elizabeth on the evening of the party. Elizabeth had to smile. She had to think of the parties she had attended for the UN. Those parties were boring as hell.

"Well, you don't have to participate in it, you just have to set up the buffet and serve the drinks. Then you can disappear and gossip about various things you've seen there" Elizabeth smiled and closed the buttons of her clean blouse. They were wearing red blouses and the usual black skirts tonight. Elizabeth decided to let her hair down this evening.

"I don't gossip" the other woman protested and Elizabeth laughed. "Wait until you see those old people in their suits and dresses and you'll understand what I mean" she said and closed her locker. Elizabeth shook her head in amusement at the younger woman.

"I can't wait to see them, Mia" she said and closed her own locker.

Friday had come in a rush and Elizabeth silently wished that the evening would be over soon. She wanted to get home and just curl up in bed. It had been one hell of a week for her. She hadn't seen Julie all week and now she was somewhere in Boston to work. She wouldn't be home all weekend. Her father had called her Wednesday evening to tell her that her mother was in the hospital with a broken leg. She'd had that 'little accident' on their skiing holiday. Elizabeth knew that her mother was fine, but it worried her nevertheless.

She had come late to work Thursday morning, because the drain in the kitchen had apparently decided to refuse draining the water and she'd had to wait for the plumber all morning since Julie had already been on her way to Boston. Elizabeth really wished that the week would be over soon. She needed to relax.

The party at the Sheppards' was just like Elizabeth had imagined it to be. She had been on such parties dozens of times and for once in her life she was glad that she didn't have to participate in it. She was on the other side now and it was great to disappear from all the boring small talk when her work was done.

It was already late and a lot of the guests had already gone when Elizabeth decided to look if everything was ok while Mia was engrossed in a fight with Josh about who wore the ugliest dress that evening. She took a tray with glasses of champagne and made her way into the big living room where the party was held.

She went through the crowd to hand out the glasses of champagne when her gaze fell upon a face. It was a miracle that she didn't let the tray fall down. John was standing in a far corner of the room, looking at her. He was wearing a black suit with a white button down shirt underneath. He wore no tie compared to the other men.

Elizabeth feverishly thought about what he was doing there when she remembered what day it was. Evan had told her that he would come back on November 23rd and today was the 23rd. She had completely forgotten it. She hadn't thought about John once the past few days, being occupied with hundreds of other things. She tore her eyes away from him and continued her way through the crowd.

He was back. The first week she had tried to stop thinking about him and the second week she had completely forgotten about him and now he was back. She caught a few glimpses of him while she waited for the guests to take a glass from the tray. He was apparently following her with his eyes. Elizabeth felt a shiver run down her spine at his look. She couldn't decipher it and she had to force herself to keep going.

Why was she feeling nervous all of a sudden? He had to be angry at her for leaving him alone on the fair, but his look showed something different. She could see him leave the corner and disappear through the door that led to the stairs to the first floor.

Elizabeth went back into the kitchen and put the tray with now empty glasses on a table. Mia and Josh were still arguing.

"I'll be outside for a few moments, ok?" she said to Mia, but the other woman didn't really listen. Elizabeth stole herself back into the living room, careful not to attract too much attention when she slipped through the door John had disappeared behind. What the hell was she doing? She was supposed to be in the kitchen and make new drinks and not to sneak around the house in search of John.

She went upstairs and landed in the corridor to his room. He was nowhere in sight. It had looked like an invitation when he had disappeared through that door. Elizabeth mentally slapped herself for going after him. She knew she shouldn't do that, but she needed to apologize to him.

She found the door to his room open, inviting her to enter, but she hesitated. There were dozens of people downstairs who needed her attention and she was sneaking around the house somewhere. She stepped inside the room, but she didn't see him. Her heart was racing and she was about to do something incredibly stupid, but she closed the door behind her nevertheless.

John emerged from the bathroom seconds later, not wearing his jacket anymore. She could see it lying in the couch. He was giving her the same look he had given her in the living room and Elizabeth had suddenly difficulties to breathe. This wasn't about apologizing, he had never been mad at her. His look meant something different and she now knew what it was.

It took him a total of three long strides before he was standing in front of her. Elizabeth raised her head to look at him. He lifted his right hand to trail his index finger along her temple and down her cheek to her chin. He tilted her head upwards before he lowered his lips to hers.

The kiss was hesitant and light against her lips. She knew that he was asking for allowance. He pulled back again and looked at her, waiting for her to scream at him and run away, but she didn't. She clutched the front of his shirt instead and pulled him down for a second kiss.

The kiss melted into a third and then a fourth and Elizabeth pressed herself against his body to feel his warmth. It really was incredibly stupid of her to kiss him, but his lips on hers felt too good and too familiar to pull away.

John pressed her against him with one hand in the small of her back and the other one in her neck, keeping her head in place. Elizabeth moaned slightly into his mouth when she allowed his tongue to slip in. It was just too much and she pulled away from him, panting heavily.

"I can't...we can't..." she was able to breathe before he captured her lips once more with his. She could feel her resistance melt away at the taste of him. All coherent thoughts leaving her brain, she tugged his shirt out of his pants and fumbled for the buttons to undo them with slightly shaking hands. He pushed her backwards until she hit something hard. Before she could react he broke the kiss and lifted her up onto the desk. She slipped out of her shoes and let them drop onto the floor.

He was resting his forehead against hers and breathing heavily into her face. Without leaving her eyes with his he shrugged out of his open shirt and let it drop to the ground. She held his intense gaze and started to unbutton her blouse. He helped her tugging it out of her skirt and shoved it down her shoulders before he attacked her lips once more with his.

Elizabeth moaned when he left her mouth and travelled kisses along her throat, pausing at her carotid artery. He licked over the pulsing spot and she shivered slightly. She hooked her fingers behind his waistband and tugged at his pants. He looked up at her and smiled. John took a step back and she hopped off the desk, opening the zipper of her skirt and shoving it down.

John left her no time before he kissed her once more, this time more slowly and passionate. He cradled her head in his hands and Elizabeth let herself drown in the feel of him. Before she would lose all the control she had, she pushed him towards the bed. She fumbled with his belt and opened his pants in the process. She was able to shove his pants down just before he dropped onto the mattress, pulling her with him.

She laughed into his neck when she landed on top of him, knocking the wind out of him. He immediately rolled them both around so that he was lying on top of her. His face was hovering inches away from hers and he was watching her. He then dropped his head and kissed her softly. It was a slow kiss at first that grew deeper and more intense by the minute.

He pulled away from her mouth and travelled down her neck. Elizabeth tilted her head to give him better access, but he didn't stay there long. He kissed further downwards and captured a cloth covered nipple with his mouth. Elizabeth moaned and arched into his touch, unable to stop herself.

John looked up at her and gave her a curious look. He then dropped his head and captured the other peak between his lips. Elizabeth involuntarily arched her back again and this time she could feel him grin. His hands vanished beneath her and the next moment the clasp of her bra was open.

He shoved the straps of her bra down her shoulders and Elizabeth fought a moan at his deliberate slowness. He must have seen it in her face, because he abandoned his slow torture and pulled the dispensable piece of clothing from her body at once. His movements stilled and he was looking down at her. Elizabeth was about to cover her chest with her arms at his intense gaze, but he held her back.

"Don't" he said quietly. His voice was hoarse and Elizabeth realized that they hadn't spoken a word in over two weeks. She relaxed under him and he smiled before he kissed her again. She then gasped into his mouth when he ran a thumb over her nipple. It hardened immediately under his touch.

She couldn't remember that she had ever reacted to a man's touch like she did to John's. She couldn't explain it, but her body suddenly had its own will. John moved his head lower and encircled one of her soft peaks with his tongue. Elizabeth clutched the sheet and kept herself from arching into his touch. He then covered it softly with his lips and sucked gently at it.

Elizabeth buried her hands in his messy hair and arched her back. She could feel his hand slide down her side and move across her stomach until he reached the waistband of her panties. He pulled his mouth from her breast and looked up at her. She was trying desperately to catch her breath. She looked into his mesmerizing green eyes and then her own eyes rolled into the back of her head when he slipped his hand between her legs.

He was stroking her slowly, his mouth giving her other nipple the attention the first one had gotten before. He brushed her clit with his thumb ever so slightly and Elizabeth realized that it really had been a stupid idea to come into his room. It was just crazy what they were doing. Panting heavily, she moved her hips in an erratic rhythm against his hand. The feeling he gave her became almost unbearable.

His mouth came back to hers just in time to swallow the loud moan that escaped her when she came, writhing under his body. Elizabeth kissed him deeply while coming down from her orgasm. John pulled away and kneeled down at the end of the bed. He then hooked his fingers behind the sides of her panties and stripped them off altogether.

Elizabeth laughed when she saw him struggle out of his boxers. He gave her a lopsided grin and positioned himself between her legs, but before he could do anything else she pushed him to the side and he rolled onto his back. He was about to complain when she closed her hand around his erection and he froze completely.

She started to stroke him slowly and John's head dropped back into the pillow. Elizabeth leaned forward to trail kissed along his jaw while her hand ran up and down his length. He had his eyes closed in concentration and after a few more moments Elizabeth could feel a hand on her wrist. He wanted her to stop and she withdrew her hand. He moaned at the loss of her touch, but his expression relaxed a bit.

Elizabeth leaned in and kissed him, cupping the side of his face with her hand. She then climbed on top of him and he groaned.

"You're killing me" he said out of breath.

"I don't think so" she answered and put her hands on his chest. She then shifted a bit so that she could sink down onto him. Her eyes slipped shut of the feel of him inside of her and it took a while before she could adjust to the feeling. It had been a while for her.

"You ok?" John asked and she could see that he was struggling to control himself. She nodded and began to move slowly. She elicited a moan from him and bent down to capture his lips in a kiss. He put his hands on either side of her face and pressed her against his mouth.

It didn't take long before Elizabeth had to speed up her movements. John was matching her rhythm with his thrusting hips. His hands travelled down to her hips and he leaned upwards to capture her nipple with his mouth. Elizabeth panted into his neck and pressed herself against his body.

His hips were thrusting upwards and Elizabeth could feel a new orgasm rising in her. She began clenching her muscles around him. John's hands on her hips pressed her further down onto him and she buried her face in his neck when she came hard. It took a few more thrusts before she could feel John's body shudder with his own release.

He collapsed onto his back, pulling her with him again. They were both breathing heavily. Elizabeth lifted her head from his neck and watched his face. It was covered in sweat and she knew that she looked the same. He opened his eyes and looked at her for a few moments before he kissed her tenderly. It was a lazy kiss, but Elizabeth had to pull away to catch her breath nevertheless.

She stayed on top of him for a few more minutes before she remembered that Mia was probably already looking for her. She didn't know how long she had been gone, but it felt like hours. She sighed and climbed off John, not wanting to leave him. She wanted to stay with him, but she couldn't. She had to work. He caught her wrist with his hand.

"Stay" he said quietly and she turned around to him.

"I can't. There are people downstairs and I'm supposed to work. And this..." she gestured helplessly at the bed and went looking for her panties. She found them at the end of his bed.

"This was 'wow' and I think Mia is fine without you" he said and gave her a puppy dog look that made her stop in her movements. She climbed back onto the bed towards him.

"This was crazy and I promised Mr. Robbins to keep an eye on Mia and she has no idea where I am. I have to go" she said and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She then grabbed her bra and put it back on. She could see him stand up and look for his boxers while she slipped back into her skirt and blouse.

"I'm sorry" he suddenly said and she whirled around.

"What?" she asked confused. He closed his belt and looked back up at her.

"For dragging you into the Ferris wheel. I shouldn't have done that. I realized that I had no right to do it. Sorry" he said and Elizabeth looked at him. She then walked over to him and kissed him.

"No, I need to apologize for my behavior. I..." but he cut her off with another kiss. Elizabeth pulled away grudgingly. "I have to go" she then whispered and he placed a stray curl behind her ear.

"Promise me to come back when you're finished then" he said.

"John, I can't do that. I need to go home. I can't stay here. I mean this is crazy, what we just did is crazy. I can't...what if someone sees me?"

"What do I have to do to convince you?" he asked. Elizabeth sighed and ran a hand over

his still bare chest.

"I can't stay here" she said again and he nodded.

"I see. Go back to work before I change my mind and lock you in here" he grinned and gave her a quick kiss.

"How's my hair looking?" she suddenly asked. She couldn't go downstairs when everyone could see what she had just done. John twirled a curl in his fingers.

"Your hair looks beautiful. I like it when you wear it down"

"John" she said and raised an eyebrow at him. He sighed.

"The bathroom is over there" he pointed to the door over his shoulder. "You can take a look yourself" Elizabeth disappeared in his bathroom and watched herself in the mirror. She flattened her hair a bit and closed her eyes. She had just slept with John. She was crazy. She had just followed a man she barely knew and had slept with him. A smile crept to her lips.

"Everything ok?" she heard him ask and the mirror showed his form leaning in the doorway with his shirt back on. She smiled at him. A thought had just crossed her mind.

"I can't stay here, but you could accompany me home" she said and turned around to face him. "Julie is in Boston for a photo shoot and tomorrow is Saturday which means that you and I don't have to work" she explained. What the hell was she doing? His face lit up at her suggestion.

"Sounds like a plan" he grinned. "I'll be downstairs waiting for you" She walked over to him and couldn't resist kissing him again. They should really stop doing that. "Go" he whispered when they pulled apart and Elizabeth took the chance before she could change her mind.

"There you are!" Mia exclaimed when Elizabeth sneaked back into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry" Elizabeth said. She had stayed away too long.

"No, it's ok, I was just looking for you to tell you that you can go home" Mia said. She obviously hadn't realized that Elizabeth had been away.

"What about the party?" Elizabeth asked confused. She had left the house through the main entrance and sneaked back in through the side entrance.

"Ok, now I'm curious. Where have you been? The party is long over. The last guests left over half an hour ago" Mia said and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I was...outside. Getting some fresh air"

"For almost two hours?" Ok, Mia had realized that she had been away.

"Two hours? I'm sorry, I totally lost track of time" Elizabeth said. It was true. She had lost track of everything in those two hours. Mia eyed her skeptically. "Sorry, Mia. I promised your father to help you" Elizabeth said and kicked herself mentally for going after John.

"It's ok. Josh helped me to clear the dining room. You can go home now, but you have to participate in our second round of gossiping on Monday" Mia said and winked. Elizabeth smiled gratefully at the young woman. It was a punishment she could live with.