"This came out incredible!" Arthur snuck up behind his wife as she placed finishing touches on one of her sketches. His eyes weren't focused on the line filled pages though, his attention was diverted to the rather large and extravagant casino module. From the top it seemed like any other luxury casino, but he knew there were twists and turns within the building. Ariadne had a playful side that enjoyed throwing in a paradox or two in spots he least expected, yet always ended up needing.

"Thank you." She turned her head slightly, beaming. He could see the pride in her face, the knowing that she truly enjoyed what she was doing. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, he watched with smiling eyes as she went over the diagram. She was so focused, so intrigued that it filled him with warm sensation.

He was proud. Beyond proud. This intelligent, creative, free spirited woman was his. His wife. His arms around her waist momentarily as his lips found the space below her ear. Showering it with kisses, he noted her sharp intake of breath. This was out of character for him, he was usually professional at work. It had been his main concern after they had began dating to not mix pleasure with business. It was all a fib though. He was far too attracted to her to keep his hands to himself all the time.

"It looks incredible. Keep up the good work." Pressing one last kiss to her throat, he pulled away from her, slowly taking his time sliding his hand away from her stomach and down her waist.

Much sooner than he wanted, he was in the back doing a progress check with Yusuf. Chemicals and sedatives were never his speciality but if the team was going to do this job efficiently and quickly, he had to make sure everyone was on the right time frame. Thankfully for him, Yusuf seemed to have gotten the memo. He gave him a nod when he asked if his creations would be ready to use right away. It was what he wanted to hear. One practice run and they would be ready to find out what this popular conman was hiding. Checking Yusuf off his mental list, he stopped by Eames desk where the scruffy male was reading a newspaper. "How's it coming along?"

He didn't bother putting the newspaper down. "It seems I'm going to have to torture myself with heels and a dress again." The agony in his voice nearly caused Arthur to smirk. "Based off your research, I say its best to use his little lady love to get the info out of him. If he trusts her enough with his secret hideaways, she can be trusted with other info." Arthur nodded, as he pulled up a chair across him.

"Do you think we can do this? Just you and I?" Arthur purposely lowered his voice, not wanting to risk sparking Ariadne's curiosity in the conversation.

Eames took note and leaned forward. "Your only going to end up in a row with her if you keep her out. You, of all people, should know that."

He felt the sudden need to run his hand through his hair in frustration. Despite their experiences with the dream world, Arthur always felt uneasy when it came to Ariadne going under. He knew her mind was most vulnerable in that state and she was the type of person to be easy affected by her surroundings. While he was sure she would never end up like Mall, he didn't want to take the risk of her damaging herself. Too bad she didn't feel the same way.

"I guess there's no point in trying." He spoke more to himself than to Eames.

"Oh cheer up, will you? You've got a lot going on for you. Put a fucking smile on your face."

The statement caused him to question the forger's sanity before he brushed it off. He was Eames. Of course he was going to be too random to understand. Grabbing his file, he gave a quick nod to both men before throwing on his jacket. Ariadne had her back to him, still struggling with her work as he snuck up behind her. "I'll see you at home tonight?" He was grateful that she turned around and gave him a big nod.

"I might be a little late though," she whispered apologetically. "But you must wait up for me. I demand it."

Grinning, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Don't keep me waiting too long." A shudder past through her, causing his grin to widened as he leaned back and gave her a wink. With that, he exited the warehouse, leaving the three to get what they needed done as they grew closer and closer to their due date.

"Please explain to me where you're dragging my vulnerable self?" Ariadne glared at Eames as the dark car they were situated in stopped in front of a row of boutiques. The Paris night was cool and dark, as the majority of the stores shadowed in silence. "There should be no place open at this time of night."

Having had stayed late to finish up the sketches of the nightclub, she had been more than surprised when Eames dragged her into visiting a shop with him. Since he had claimed it had been urgent and much needed she went along and was now deeply regretting it.

"Would you quit complaining, love? Arthur is surely rubbing off on you." Getting out of the car, she followed quickly behind him as he rounded a corner and disappeared into a brightly lit shop. The only one open in entire block. Not bothering to look at the sign, she rushed after Eames, almost afraid to loose him in the unfamiliar territory. The store was empty except for a single man assessing a row of DVDs. He turned to face them as they stepped in and gave each a full inspection with his eyes. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, Ariadne hid next to Eames' side and followed suit. The man, whom she realized must work there, didn't bother to hide his fascination with them. Groaning internally, her legs picked up their speed to keep up with the forger's long paces. Soon enough they were in the back of the store, with neon colors decorating every shelf and stand.

"Seriously Eames, why did you need me here?" she asked with a tone of annoyance. " I don't even know why-Oh, my God!" She hadn't meant to yell or loose color in her face, but it was at that moment, as she looked around the shelves surrounding her that she realized where she was. "You bought me to a sex shop?"

"I think the proper term would be an adult entertainment store." Unaffected by her outburst, he picked two rubber toys and held them in front of her face. "Purple or pink? Or would you prefer blue?" He juggled two in one hand as he made a move to grab another.

"Put those down!" She hissed, horrified. Standing on her tip toes, she glanced over the shelf to see if they were being watched. Yes. The store owner stared back at her, emotionless and transfixed as her eyes grew wide. "Eames, I swear to God-"

"Have you ever heard of arousal gel?"

"-what?"

"Arousal gel, it's suppose to make-"

"I know what that is, thank you very much," she interrupted him as she tried to calm her rising anger. "I want to know why I'm here. In a sex shop. When I should be home…with my husband."

"Don't be ungrateful now, love. I'm doing you a favour." He murmured as he stood reading the back of a different box. "Hmmm…they have erection cream...I wonder.."

"Doing me a favour? My sex life is just fine! I am in no need of...gels and creams!"

"Weren't you the one who said you were planning a 14 days sexcapade?"

"You make it sound so raunchy." Her glare was so intense she almost excepted him to burst into flames at any second. At least she hoped he would.

"I'm just trying to help you succeed." He gave her a wink before turning into another aisle.

"I highly doubt any of these-" she pointed defensively to the row of cock rings and bondage toys, "-are going to help me get pregnant."

"You'd be surprised, love." Eames was enjoying himself far too much. He froze in front of a certain section as he analyzed the products before him. "Besides, I'm sure your curious to try some of these out."

"The only thing I'm curious about is how many years I'll have to serve when I murder you with my bare hands."

"Tsk. Tsk. Save that violence for the bedroom." He turned to face her, holding up a small penis shaped rubber. "Don't tell me you wouldn't wanna shove this up Arthur's-"

"Do not finish that sentence!"

"Excuse me?" The store owner walked up behind them, nearly causing Ariadne to jump out of her skin. "I'd like to remind you that this is a store. If you are not buying anything, I'd advise you to leave." He spoke to the both of them, yet kept his gaze on her.

"This young lady is in need of handcuffs. Where would we find them?" Eames asked coolly. He pointed them to a row in the front of the store and Eames was off. Fuming and not even the slightest amused, she followed behind. He ended up buying the handcuffs, whether to get the owner off their case or for his own personal use, she didn't know.

"I'm going to purposely torture you in the dream practice run tomorrow." She warned emotionlessly. They sat in his car, as he drove her home. In between the two seats lay the bag with the cuffs, which she found hard to take her eyes off.

"Arthur really picked a winner," he teased, as he drove through the silent night. "By the way, consider those my pre-baby shower present to you." His head titled towards the bag.

"I'm not taking those," she spoke in a determined voice. "Are you insane?"

"No. I think your in need of excitement. Maybe, just maybe, if you spiced things up, Arthur would develop some sort of charisma and imagination."

"Have I told you how much I hate you?"

"I love you too, dear."

The car stopped in front of the entrance of her flat. "Don't forget your present!" Eames called out as she exited the car. Glaring at him, she dug into the bag and grabbed the cuffs. She threw them carelessly into her purse before shutting the door. The elevator ride up to the penthouse was an agonizing one. She was sure Arthur was asleep by now, although a part of her hoped he was awake by now. She wanted nothing more than to just jump into his arms and wipe out all evidence of her day. Despite the embarrassment and torment, she knew Eames was just trying to help…in some demented and abnormal way.

Her purse felt heavy, as the metal handcuffs pressed against her other belongings. How in the world was she suppose to summon up the courage to handcuff Arthur? For all she knew, he could be repulsed by that sort of behaviour. She released a sigh. And anyways, he wasn't even aware of the intimate vacation she was in the middle of planning. She had to clear her mind and take things easy. There was no way she would allow him to say no to this. Not to a child. Not to intimacy. Not to her.

The elevator stopped and she stepped into her home, dropping her keys on the table and instantly making her way into the bedroom. Just as she suspected, Arthur was awake. Shirtless and sprawled on the bed, her husband was engrossed in a book when she stepped in. Taking advantage of the silence, she jumped into the bed next to him and wrapped herself around him. "Hey there."

"Look who decided to finally show up." His book dropped to the side of the bed forgotten. "I almost assumed I wouldn't see you till morning." The aroma of his light shower gel hit her as she stroked his semi damp hair.

"Yes. The nice girl in me was unable to say no when Eames asked if I could help him with something." Swinging her leg over his hip, she sprawled herself on top of him and rested her head against his shoulder. "That is the last time I'll ever do that."

He chuckled, vibrations shook his chest. "Should I even bother asking what it was he needed help with?"

"Nope." She smiled slowly. "I'd rather not go through the events again."

"I'm sorry you had to endure that." He whispered, his hand coming out to graze against her thigh. She lost her breath for a second, before fumbling to get it back. His hand worked its way up until it reached her hip. Nestled there, he rubbed her covered skin as she slowly closed her eyes in sheer enjoyment.

"Your really good at this."

"Good at what?"

"Making me forget."