Chapter 2

Ratchet threw his glasses down, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. Damn woman… always irritating him with her shitty attitude. This morning had been no exception, frustrating him to the point he'd nearly broken the chair he was sitting in. His inexplicable rage at her very presence was most confusing, further annoying him. He'd gotten to the point where he didn't even want to pass her in hallways, wanting to avoid the inevitable argument.

It had always been this way. It would always be this way. And he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with it anymore. Sighing deeply, he rose from his desk, picking up his discarded glasses from the table. They wouldn't be needed shortly but he always preferred to have them near him, in case of emergency.

He raked a hand through his hair, looking at the clock. 8pm? He supposed it was late enough for him to work for the night, and closed up his office. He was in desperate need of a drive… It always seemed to set his mind at ease, feeling the cool breeze against the metal of his top and doors, the rush of pavement under his wheels. Being an Autobot had its perks, and they were even sweeter now, since he got tired of being stuck in this human body. He ached to be outside, doing anything but the work provided for him. But maybe that was just because of Solaraah being so damn annoying.

Ratchet bid the nurses goodnight grumpily, making his way to the parking lot. Soon he was racing down the road to the front gate. He slowed, but only a little bit, once he got outside the gates. He darkened his windows so nobody could see inside and raced onwards.

By the time Ratchet felt like himself again, he had made it 190 miles from where he had started.

It was no big deal for him—he enjoyed this. It was one of his simple pleasures, and something he liked to do often. Anywhere away from Solaraah was good enough for him. He revved his engine and started back to the hangar he shared with the other Autobots. It's where they recharged, and there was a loft above it that had a bed he wouldn't mind sleeping in for just tonight. If Sideswipe hadn't brought another random girl back, that is.

An hour or so later he stepped into the hangar and was making his way up the stairs when he smelled pheromones in the air, but it wasn't just some random girl and Sideswipe… He was curious so he opened the loft door. And lying on the bed passed out were, of course, Elena and Optimus. He should have known it was them, what with the way they had been acting all week.

Ratchet shut the door silently and made his way down the steps. He effortlessly changed back to his vehicle form and fell into deep recharge.

~ 3 ~

"You owe me money sweetheart, so pay up." Kat groaned and slapped at Solaraah's outstretched hand.

"The night's not over yet, it's only midnight."

"And u know as well as I do, Miss Fancy-Pants never spends the night away from home. So pony up the dough, young one." Solaraah laughed. "I know they were dying to get in each other's pants."

"Kinda like you and Ratchet, hm?" Kat's question threw Solaraah off guard and she sputtered. "Wh- Oh, hell no! I don't like that bastard and he doesn't like me and it's fine that way." She nodded to emphasize her point. "There is definitely no attractionthere."

"I just think you need to get with him is all," Kat said. "Maybe if you both got laid, all your tension would go away."

"Um, no? I mean even if we did fuck, it would be the same way it is now. Nothing would change, except for where I sleep every now and then." Solaraah looked at Kat, rolling an unlit cigarette between her fingers before placing it in her mouth. "Honestly, I don't think that I'd wanna fuck him anyway. The man's got a stick up his ass."

"Stick or no, I really do think you're attracted to him." Kat said with a nod.

"I think you read too many romance novels, ain't nothing gonna change him. Of that I'm positive. He's gonna get old alone, and probably die a virgin."

"That's a little cold, even for you." Kat said with a frown.

Solaraah shrugged. "I call 'em like I see 'em."

"But still."

"What about you and Mirage?" The older woman asked, making Kat turn cherry red.

Kat stuttered out, "I-I don't know. A different subject please?"

"Emhmmm…" Solaraah said with a smirk knowing she had hit a sensitive spot.

"Please Solly?"

"I just wanted to ta—" but Solaraah was cut off by the front door opening and someone sneaking in.

Solaraah whispered to Kat, "I think that's Elena."

So the 2 girls sat there silently while their friend closed and locked the door and tiptoed into the living room. Her hair was tousled, her lips slightly swollen, a hickey on her neck, her clothes were wrinkled, and she seemed exhilarated, almost out of breath. She froze when she saw her friends sitting there with amused expressions.

"So, how was it?"

Elena felt like shrinking to the ground. No, please don't let them ask me… "Um, I'm quite sure I have no idea what you're referring to," she said, turning toward her room. "So, goodnight."

"Elena…" Solaraah said with a grin. "We both know what's going on. We're all adults here, don't be shy."

Elena blushed deeply, setting her bag down. She walked to the couch, sitting down and trying to talk a bit, but the way the two other women stared made her nervous. She merely stuttered a little, wringing her hands. "I just…We, ah…"

Solaraah laughed, nudging Kat in the side. "Oh, Elena, you're so cute. Look, for all it's worth, I'm glad it was Optimus rather than some pretty face off the streets."

Elena sighed in relief. "Thank you, Solly."

Solaraah noticed a distant look in her friend's eyes, but Kat was the one that spoke. "Awww, Solly, look! Ellie's all lovestruck over Optimus." The brunette was squealing now, clapping her hands in excitement.

"I am not!" Elena said hotly. At her roommates' looks, she dropped her gaze. "Well, uh… nevermind…" She began to stutter again, causing Solaraah to snicker and pat Elena's shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright. It was bound to happen eventually," said the older woman. Her blue eyes locked with Elena's green ones, and she smiled gently. "But for now, go ahead to bed. You look exhausted."

"Okay," Elena said with yet another furious blush. "Goodnight."

Kat and Solaraah waved to her, exchanging amused glances. She's so cute when she blushes… I guess that's why Optimus always stares at her when she does. "Hey, Kat?" Solaraah said thoughtfully. "I know you like Mirage." She received a frustrated glance from her friend and laughed before continuing. "Well, you really should have known that I wouldn't let you avoid the conversation any longer."

Kat sighed. "Yes…I guess I do like Mirage. But there's no way he likes me back. No way at all. And to be honest…I'm happy just being friends for now. I don't want to make any moves to scare him away." She had a faint blush across her cheeks, looking down at her hands. "Besides, even being in the same room with him is fine with me."

Solaraah sighed and hugged Kat. "I promise you I won't scare him away. I'll make something happen, sweetheart, just give me a little time, okay?"

Kat looked up, kind of frightened at what her friend would do. Solaraah wasn't exactly the most patient person in the world—Elena was more patient, and that was saying something. The older woman got up and smiled as she walked into the kitchen, getting a beer from the refrigerator. After hearing the top pop, Kat knew it was her cue to go to bed. Solaraah was hard to predict when tipsy or drunk, but more often than not, she was grumpy, and Kat didn't want to start any fights.

Solaraah sat back on the couch, curling up with a blanket and a good book. She liked to sit back and relax like this, before getting up and going through the daily routine. She didn't need a lot of sleep, and that was okay for her. She looked at it this way—she could get a lot more accomplished without worrying about having to rest.

After Solaraah got a few chapters into the book, her eyelids began to feel extremely heavy. Yawning, she decided to rest for a bit, only to fall asleep on the couch, book still clutched in her hand.

~3~

"Good morning, Optimus," Solaraah said with a sly wink at her friend and superior.

He smiled at her. "Good morning. You seem like you're in a good mood."

"The best," she replied with a nod. "I haven't seen the asshole this morning, so I'm in a perfect mood." She smiled at him, more brightly than usual. "Besides…" She lowered her voice and cupped her hand around her mouth. "I'm proud of you for finally getting Elena."

He coughed and cleared his throat. "Um…thank you? I guess," He replied nervously.

Solaraah wondered why he might be nervous, until she heard Elena's voice growing louder. She smiled, patting him on the back. "Go get her, Tiger." She laughed, walking to her office. As she opened the door, she saw Ratchet standing there, waiting for her. "Why the hell are you here?"

He said nothing for a long while, just sat down in a seat by her desk. "Needed to talk to you."

"I'm awfully busy, so if you wouldn't mind making this quick?" She said curtly.

Ratchet simply pursed his lips in thought and slowly started to speak. "I…guess I want to know why we loathe each other…"

The tone in his voice shocked her. It was somewhere between "I'm-pissed-off-why-am-I-here" and "man-in-pain". She said nothing—she couldn't. Where did this come from? After a moment, she shook her head. "Why, is it bothering you?"

He snorted; temper showing a little more now. "Of course not. Elena put me up to this."

"Bullshit."

"Don't believe me?" His golden gaze locked with hers. "Ask her yourself. She said not to leave until you told me why you hate me."

"Oh, really now?" Solaraah said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Well you tell her this. You are a shithead with a stick up your ass. If you kept your little temper under control, maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to tolerate you a little more than I do. There, are you happy now?"

Ratchet frowned. "Is that really what you think?" He gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry, okay? I've been through so many battles, seen so much bloodshed in my life that I can't help but be the way I am. My life is a war, and I'm just stuck in the middle of all the bullshit." He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, standing up with enough force to knock his chair onto its back legs. "This was a mistake."

Solaraah stared after him for a moment, her mouth opened slightly in surprise. What the hell…? She gritted her teeth, chunking a couple pens and pencils at the door. "Damn it, Ratchet! You're so damn confusing all the time, I don't understand you..." She shook her head, putting a hand over her face. "I'm sure I feel the same way about fighting with you as you feel toward me...But I'll be damned if I'm going to take this laying down. It's not right; I've not done anything to deserve this." She chuckled then, knowing good and well she was whispering to herself. "My God, this man's making me crazy..."

~3~

It was hard meeting Optimus' eyes, Elena noticed, as she walked up to him. Especially now, since she remembered seeing him in the moonlight, the hard muscles of his human form outlined in silver. She sighed at the memory and smiled. Optimus walked up to her and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. When he pulled back and smiled, she noticed all of the soldiers standing around get a disappointed look on their faces as if they had been hoping she'd choose one of them. This made her giggle and Optimus started playing with a loose strand of her hair. She had it up in a ponytail and her bangs sometimes annoyed her, so she'd pull them back with a bobby pin.

"Come on, I'm sure that all the Autobots need to know your mine now…" He said kissing her once more before wrapping his arm around her waist and walking to the Autobot hangar with her at his side.

"Oh..Okay…" Elena said kind of nervous that the other mechs would be jealous, especially Sideswipe.

When they got to the hangar, Optimus kissed Elena again, and all the Autobots in the area turned to stare. Ironhide laughed and said "Pay up!" to Sideswipe, who looked extremely pissed off. Elena couldn't meet his gaze so she looked up at Optimus instead who was talking to the Autobots. When he finished, all of the Autobots raced out and she looked at Optimus in confusion.

He grinned at her, grabbing her hand, and gently pulled her upstairs. She realized what he wanted right when he opened the loft door and she saw the silk sheets on the bed, candles placed on various surfaces. The only light in the room was the candles, so she could only see the bed. She took off her heels and tossed them into the corner. Smiling, she stepped in, feeling rose petals under her feet. She turned to Optimus and blushed, giggling shyly. She let him come towards her, after closing and locking the door, and he slipped her sweater off and smiled at her.

"You're beautiful," he whispered to her, touching her soft skin with one hand. "And you're all mine."

"Always," she whispered back before he claimed her mouth in a passionate kiss.

~3~

"Aw, come onnnn," Kat groaned, looking at Elena's once again disheveled hair and flushed face. "You can't tell me that you and Optimus…y'know…again, can you?"

"No?" Elena said with a sheepish grin, shrugging. "Kat…He's such a good asker."

"I don't think he even has to ask," Kat muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "He just looks at you, and you're all 'TAKE ME!'." She waved her arms in the air, as if beckoning some invisible man to hold her.

Elena snorted. "That's a lie."

Kat pointed at her skirt and messy hair, raising an eyebrow. "Riiiight."

Elena giggled nervously. "You're right…He just has this way of looking at me…it makes me feel all tingly." She hugged herself and looked into Kat's eyes. "I just want to throw myself at him." She noticed the door moving a crack and waited for Solaraah to enter. She snorted at Solaraah's raised eyebrow. "Oh, cut the crap, Solly, I know you were eavesdropping."

The older woman grinned, an unlit cigarette between her teeth, and shrugged. "Okay, so I've been caught." She chuckled to herself. "Never knew Optimus to be so…I dunno…horny." Elena began to stammer, tripping over her denials. Solaraah laughed again. "Relax, honey, I ain't gonna tell, don't worry."

"Now it's Solaraah's turn," Kat said with a grin.

"We've already been over this, I am not sleeping with Ratchet, no matter whether you want me to or not."

Elena giggled. "Kitty-kat, if I'm not mistaken, you're still a virgin, too." Kat slapped her arm, and Elena held it dramatically, pretending it hurt. She laughed after a moment of acting, and leaned closer to Kat. "Y'know…I could get Optimus to order them to go out tonight."

"Oh?" Kat giggled. "I'd do it."

"Think of the destruction, though," Elena mused.

"But I imagine both of them would be less moody. She's tense, you know?"

"Mmm," was all Elena could say before she was interrupted.

"What are you two plotting over there?" Solaraah asked, a dangerous tone in her voice. "Not about me, I hope."

"Noooo," said both the girls innocently, looking up at the ceiling.

Solaraah sighed, throwing an arm over the back of the couch after flopping down. "Look, don't lie to me. If you're even remotely thinking about setting me up with that pigheaded ass-wipe, think again. It could be really bad for both of you if you don't."

The younger women gulped as they exchanged glances. Is this really worth her wrath..?

Elena immediately decided to leave Kat out of the planning. At least, if Elena got in trouble with Solaraah she could defend herself. If it came down to it, Optimus would protect her. Of that she was sure. She smiled at Kat, and got up, telling her friends she'd be back later, and not to worry. She left out the part about going to Optimus' office…

~3~

"Um, okay," Solaraah said to Elena, who was on the other end of the phone line. "Formal?"

"Yeah," Elena said back. "It's gonna be all of us, like a huge group date for everyone to enjoy themselves." Solaraah could almost see Elena's cute grin before the blonde continued. "And you know you've been tense lately. Why not kick back and relax? I've already got the okay from Optimus, so we're good to go. Please say you'll come? For me?"

The older woman sighed and smiled. "Alright. When and where?"

"Ah…" She heard papers fumbling and an "AHA" before Elena spoke again. "There's a nice restaurant not too far from the hospital. We'll meet there at 7-ish, okay?"

"Mm," Solaraah said. "That's cool. Gives me some time to look through my closet."

"Yep!" Elena giggled. "Okay, well, I've got to let Kat know. Bye!" Elena didn't wait for Solaraah's goodbye and she laughed. Elena was easily pleased…

She knew that Kat and Mirage wouldn't show, because they had a previous movie date already planned. Optimus and Elena would, but they'd excuse themselves—but not before Optimus ordered Ratchet and Solaraah to stay and chat. The excuse he'd use would be "You need to get along better." The plan was coming along quite nicely…

She grinned to herself, going to pick out a nice dress for Optimus. It was a pink strapless tube dress, tight in all the right places. She thought he'd enjoy watching it on her, and also have fun getting it off of her. She got ready, curling her hair, fixing her makeup, the works. While working, she called Optimus, going over the plan just to make sure both of them had each of their respective roles right.

"Yes, Elena, I know what to do," Optimus said. "Both during dinner…and afterwards." She could hear the suggestiveness of his tone, laced with amusement, causing her to giggle. As she went to reply, she dropped her phone, hanging up on him. "Ah, crap…"

~3~

"Solaraah, you clean up nicely," Optimus commented as the violet-haired woman met up with them.

"Thanks…" she said slowly. "You guys look good too."

"Solly, you look so pretty in dresses…and even makeup!" Elena said excitedly. She then looked at Ratchet, who looked less than happy to be there. "Doesn't she?"

He merely shrugged, avoiding looking at her. He seemed to be in one of his moods again tonight…

Solaraah, however, took a quick glance at the brunette. He looked…quite good in a suit and tie, she thought, surprised at herself. She'd always had a weakness for a man in a suit, and Ratchet was no exception. He'd rolled his sleeves, loosening his tie a bit to undo the top few buttons of his white shirt. He had his coat draped over one of his broad shoulders…Wait…she'd never really realized just how broad he really was… She was appalled at herself for thinking such things, but damn did he look good tonight…

"Like what you see?" He asked shortly, getting her attention off his chest and back to his face.

Oh, God, yes… "It's okay," she lied, trying to be cool about the whole thing. If he found out that this particular look attracted her, the whole "group dinner" thing would be blown all to hell. She didn't want to do that to Elena and Optimus.

Ratchet tried to avoid looking at her. Normally, he cared nothing for human girls—or any girl, for that matter—but…tonight, seeing Solaraah looking so soft, so…womanly, attracted him to her. He was furious with himself for thinking it, and at her as well, for wearing such a provocative dress. She was a short, simple black dress, cut a little too low in the front for his tastes. It pissed him off—if she had done this for him, it wasn't happening. Not now, not ever.

He began to get a little hot, so cleared his throat. "I'm…going to the bathroom." He walked off as fast as he could.

Solaraah couldn't help but wonder if it was because of her checking him out, and if it was…why had it affected him this badly? She grinned inwardly. Well, then. This was certainly interesting… Bathroom, eh? She sighed on the inside. "So…we gonna go in or what?"

"Yeah," Elena said with a laugh as Optimus' phone rang. He answered it, walking off to the side. "We can probably go see about being seated."

Ratchet met up with them while they waited, Optimus getting back around the same time the medic did. They had to take a number while waiting for someone to seat them, so Ratchet got a phone out of his pocket to fiddle with, in order to pass the time. Elena giggled at him, knowing that the dress Solaraah wore would drive any man crazy, and again, Ratchet was no exception. Even if he was an alien robot in his true form, he was still a man, and she was a very attractive woman.

When the host got to them and mentioned seating them, Optimus politely declined, claiming he had to be elsewhere. Elena agreed, and Optimus looked at Ratchet and Solaraah. "Have fun. I expect to hear good things in the morning." The look in his blue eyes left no room for argument and the doctors had no choice but to agree.

They were showed to an oddly private table, on a balcony overlooking the restaurant and shops. The waitress took their drink orders, leaving the two to sit in silence. Ratchet was the first to say something, breaking the awkward silence between them. "So…are you trying to break me, woman?"

At that moment, Solaraah received a text from Elena reading, "I took the liberty of renting one of the condos across the street from the restaurant for you and Ratchet tonight. Have fun~!" It took Solaraah an entire minute to register what her friend had done. Damn it, Elena, you have to put your nose in everything! Ratchet cleared his throat, looking at her expectantly. "Well?"

She looked away from his fierce gaze. "I have no idea what you're referring to." She tossed her long hair over her shoulder, crossing her long, shapely legs. "Stop looking at me like that. I have no intention of breaking anyone."

"With that outfit, you must have intended for something to happen," he muttered as the waitress came back with their drinks.

Solaraah merely glared at him, smiling like nothing was wrong to order her meal. He grunted his order to the waitress as she took the menus, offering a cheerful "Coming up!" to the both of them. Solaraah waited until the waitress was out of earshot before saying another word. "Look, I'm just wearing what's comfortable, and if you don't like it, that's tough. If it hasn't hit you yet, I don't answer to you."

"I know," he said darkly.

She sighed out loud. "I really don't wanna fight you tonight, so would you please not make dumb comments?"

"If you'd prefer, I can leave," He said.

She pulled a cigarette from behind her ear, shaking her head. "No thanks, sweetheart. I would rather be miserable with you than to hear Optimus rage at me for not following orders." She put the cigarette between her lips, not lighting it. The feel of one calmed her some. She'd really been trying to quit, but damn if Ratchet wasn't making it hard. Stupid, infuriating man. "We can suck it up for one night."

"Easy for you to say," He said under his breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Throughout the whole dinner both fought looking at each other with glances that suggested they wanted the other, but would die before letting that happen. Every now and then Ratchet would squeeze one of his eating utensils to hard and they would bend a little, causing Solaraah to smirk every time she noticed this.

When they were finished eating, and asked for the check, the waitress shook her head. "No, don't worry about it. The people you came in with told us to put it on their tab. Apparently they wanted to pay for your nice anniversary dinner!"

Ratchet coughed, and Solaraah smiled at the girl. "Oh, us? No, we're not a couple. We're just…business partners." She stood up, brushing off her skirt.

"Oh, I'm sorry," The waitress said. "You two just looked…together…so I jumped to conclusions." She was bright red from her embarrassment, and Solaraah touched her cheek gently.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. Everyone makes mistakes," she said. "I should know…"

The waitress giggled. "Thank you," she said as she excused herself.

Solaraah turned to Ratchet, who again had his cell phone out. "Did you get a text from my meddling friend too?"

"No. Mine was from Optimus," he said. He sounded pissed—again—but this time, he had good reason. "Ordering me to spend the night with you at the condo Elena booked."

"Why is everybody trying to get me laid?" Solaraah growled to herself. "Okay. We taking a cab or what?"

Ratchet huffed and said "It's right across the street, why don't we just walk?"

Agreeing with his reasoning they left the restaurant and walked across the street to the very nice, expensive condominiums. Inside Ratchet went to the front desk and got the room number and key to the room they would be spending the night in. They walked to the elevator and went all the way up to the top. Once Ratchet got the door unlocked and opened, Solaraah realized they had the loft; no one else was on the same floor as them…

She was going to murder her best friends. She really was. They'd gone too far this time.

"What the hell…" Ratchet whispered to himself, looking around the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

"I'm going to fucking kill them. That's it. I'm gonna do it. Just wait til I get home tomorrow…" Solaraah fumed, sitting down on the bed and crossing her arms and legs.

Ratchet hated himself for noticing the way her skirt rode up a little on her thigh as she sat, the way her breasts pressed against each other as she crossed her arms. The dress really left little to the imagination. He wanted her to cover up. "I don't like this any more than you do."

"It's your fault."

Ratchet looked at her in surprise, his mouth dropping open slightly. "My fault?" He gritted his teeth. "Just how the hell is this my fault?"

"Because my stupid friends think we have sexual tension. They seem to think sex is the answer, when really, keeping me away from you will fix all problems," she snapped back. She raked a hand through her hair, standing up. Her heels clicked on the floor as she paced in front of the window.

"So that's your solution? Ignore it and it will all go away." He snorted, shaking his head. "Stupid woman. We work together. How can you not expect to bump into me every once in a while?"

"Don't mean I have to talk to you," She said shortly.

"Y'know, I'm beginning to think you are hiding something," he said to her, walking a little closer. I can smell it…

"Bullshit. I'm not hiding anything," she said back, unaware of how close he was getting to her.

When she finally turned, it was too late, he shoved her up against the wall and told her, "I can smell it, you are hiding something. Now are you going to tell me? Or show me?"

"I'm not hiding anything," She grunted, pushing at his shoulders. "I've told you."

"Then what is it?" He asked, forcing a knee between her thighs, pressing his body to hers. "Your heart is racing, Solaraah. Your temperature is rising…" He leaned close to her ear. "You're attracted to me, and you're trying to deny it."

"I'm not fucking attracted to you," she ground out, pushing against him.

"What a liar you are," he murmured as one hand snaked down her side, to her hip. He gripped the tight dress, pulling it up to reveal a pair of lacy black underwear. He chuckled to himself, hooking his thumb under the side to pull it down a bit.

She bit her lip to avoid gasping. What the hell is he doing to me…I can't function… "Stop, Ratchet…" She hated the breathless sound to her voice.

"If you're not attracted to me, why do you sound so out of breath?" His voice was like satin, his breath caressing her shoulder as his naughty hand continued to travel inside her underwear. Soon he was touching her most sensitive part, and she clutched his shoulders.

"You're an asshole," she said through gritted teeth, torn between wanting him to stop and begging for more. She'd not felt the touch of a man in such a long time… It was hard not to give in to the release it promised. "I hate you so much for this."

"You want it," he said roughly. "You hate yourself for that, don't you?"

"Shut the hell up," she snapped as he slipped a finger inside her. She gritted her teeth again. "Stop doing this to me. You're just doing this to prove a point."

"Tell me the truth and I'll stop," he said. He grinned to himself, nipping sharply at her neck with his teeth. "Tell me you want me."

"Stop," she repeated breathlessly, as he added another finger.

"I told you what will get me to stop," He whispered back, his lips brushing against her throat. "Admit it."

"It's that damn suit," she ground out, not able to stifle the whimper she made as he moved his fingers in and out. "And the tie…" She tangled her fingers in his chestnut hair and dragged his face up to hers. "And the shitty attitude…" She shuddered as he pressed himself closer. "Damn it, Ratchet, I hate you."

He kissed her then, bruising her mouth. She didn't mind, following his lead. Her hands began to wonder and she pushed him back. He removed his hand, placing it on the wall beside her head, his golden eyes meeting hers, a devilish gleam in them. "You hate me, do you?"

"You're so annoying…" she muttered, slipping under his arm and walking over to the bed to kick off her shoes and get a hold of herself. She couldn't lose it here. She couldn't let Elena and Kat win.

He laughed darkly, following her. "No. I'm not finished with you yet." He took her glasses from her and placed them on a nightstand, followed by his own. "Because, tonight…" He climbed atop her and kissed her again. "You're mine to do with as I wish."

At that, all speaking ceased. They didn't need to—they wanted to keep this as impersonal as they could, no feelings involved whatsoever. They didn't care for each other at all—this was to be purely physical, and a one night stand only. Never again would they speak of it, and never again would it happen—but they would take advantage of it now.

They stripped one another of their clothes, tossing the garments to the floor. He ran his hands over her body, taking in what he saw. He was pleased with the way she looked, especially like this. She was beautiful to him—but he was only allowed to think it tonight.

Solaraah couldn't think, couldn't function, couldn't breathe now, not with him. She was losing herself to his touches, and longing for more. He was doing this on purpose…going agonizingly slow, hitting all the spots he knew would make her crazy. He was driving her insane! She hated anything that was slow, and he knew it. She could tell by his facial expression. He was messing with her, and she didn't want him to stop.

By the time Ratchet was ready to be serious, Solaraah was practically begging for some kind of release. This foreplay had frustrated her, and she let Ratchet know. When he finally did enter her, she bit his shoulder hard enough to leave a mark. He laughed at her, kissing her as he moved. He played by her rules then, going as fast or as hard as she desired, bringing her to climax rather quickly. She hugged him tightly to her, squeezing him so hard he feared he may burst right then.

It wasn't long until he did, dropping his head on her shoulder and holding her tightly. They were content to sleep like that for the night, worrying about showers in the morning.