Author's note:

Gosh, I'm so glad that I'm even able to post this chapter because I have to go back studying immediately. I hate the time pressure in the last week of semester... At least the French is behind me, now onward to my exam and another test (I actually failed last week and have to write it again). :)

Dear Debbie, I still have no words for the gift you and your daughter sent me. You literally took my breath away and I know I'll never be able to express my thanks enough. If my eternal gratefulness can repay it at least, I'll be eternally grateful to you for the rest of my life. :) Thank you! :* As for your review, thank you so much as well, I'm glad you liked it. :) And both writers from AthenaJuTiva (I know both since they read my stories – hello girls!) deserve an appreciation for their work. We have to support each other, as you said and the least I can do for them is to pay attention to their story and appreciate properly what they have written. :)

Which goes for you as well, Bethany! Thank you so much for your review, I'm glad your alarm alerted you on time and as I wrote you in my PM – I promise I'll read your stories as well when this crazy week full of school work will end. ;)

Celine Krause, thank you so much for the appreciation, I'm happy you liked the last chapter! I hope your imagination will work well in the next chapter because you will certainly need it ;) And I'm glad it makes you feel special when I answer on your review, that's awesome and I'm always delighted to do so. You can count on me, I will give this story a happy ending but it won't be that easy. I have to live up to my reputation and show some cruelty... :D

Dear Guest, you don't have to be sorry but I can assure you that no review is always the same. :) As every chapter, every review is unique and even though you would repeat the same words all over again, you couldn't make me happier. ;) The feedback is something that writer needs to continue in the story. I'm glad you're excited for the next chapter and I hope you'll like it.

And thank you too, Hoyckemom, for your review! :) Yes, at least they finally made it to the bed and I can promise you that they will stay there for a while ;)

Anyway, to make you happy with another chapter (even though you will curse my name again, I'm sort of sure of it), I'm willing to post on time like always. :) This chapter might seem to be completely pointless but trust me, I write every detail in the story for certain reason. So, what will happen in this chapter will have consequences for the future. :) It's actually very important.

So, sit back, hopefully enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

Disclaimer:

I do not own NCIS or the characters.

Towel – Chapter 9

*** WHERE WE LEFT OFF ***

Ziva didn't know why, but she caught herself gripping the towel between her fingers again, even though she didn't want anything else than to touch his bare chest. It was an unconscious action and he registered, too, when he took her hand and put it out of his way, only to find she put it back, preventing him from tearing the towel off her body. She just didn't want to give in so easily.

He tried it few times without pinning her hands above her head because he wanted her to know that it was wish of both to cross the line. He really didn't want to have any impression he was pushing her into something she didn't want. However, he didn't succeed. She stubbornly returned the hand back every time he tried to push it away even though her kisses showed her want very clearly.

He released her lips with a tired sigh and looked at her, waiting for her to open her eyes. When she did so, she shot him a questioning gaze, not really understanding why he had stopped all of a sudden. She wasn't aware of her subconscious attempts to stall him. In her mind her hands were roaming all over his back, but that clearly wasn't true since he was looking at her with a slightly disappointed face.

"You promised to trust me, Ziva." He reminded her that his sincere kiss, full of love, had convinced her about his pure intentions, slipping his eyes down on her hands to give her the signal what exactly he meant.

*** AND NOW WE CONTINUE ***

She sighed, too, finally realizing what she had been unintentionally doing, her expression turning into guilt. Her intent definitively hadn't been to try to stop him. She didn't have any idea why she had been stubbornly crossing the hands in front of her chest, gripping the towel when the only thing she wanted was to be naked in front of him, and she wanted him to be naked as well.

She didn't change her mind, she trusted him completely and she wanted to show him that. Her left hand released the towel and reached for his face, caressing his cheek with the back of her fingers lovingly while looking directly into his eyes, trying to convince him about her sincerity that the mutual agreement really was reciprocal, that she didn't have any second thoughts.

"I know." She whispered apologetically, apologizing for her hesitancy as she watched him to smile warmly, which made her heart to leap in her chest.

She smiled in return, admiring his boyish features as her fingers started to play with his ear, occasionally raking his hair. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. Because she was nervous as Hell. It wasn't about any diffidence. She wasn't self-conscious about her body or anything, but she was about to give in to a man she was falling in love with, with a man who wasn't just her friend and partner, but also one of the most important figures in her life.

No more secrets between them, no more boundaries to cross, no more walls to get through – they were about to be naked in front of each other and not just literally. The notional nakedness was there, too, because they weren't going to just strip off their clothes, but their masks as well. It was also about the seriousness of the moment, the so-much-needed honesty and sincerity and, most of all, trust.

She raised her right hand, opening up to him as she put it next to her head, nervously toying with her wet hair, waiting for him to do something. He leaned into her touch since her left hand still continued in the caresses, smiling widely because he couldn't believe she was really about to be his. Her body, her mind, her heart and her soul – those would belong to him in no time.

He slowly rubbed his right hand across her body up to the towel, hooking his finger around it, praying for no interruptions this time because he was deeply focused on this particular task. He locked her gaze with his, wanting to assure her about his pure intentions. He certainly wasn't doing this just to see her naked. He had higher ambitions than that.

She nodded slowly at his silent question as to whether she was ready for it, her heart threatening to explode. But she was already used to it. This man made her feel incredible things, so some quickening of her heartbeat was just trivial. Her gasp followed in the moment he started to unwrap the towel from her body, doing it very slowly, which was driving her crazy.

His eyes never left hers, he didn't dare to betray her trust by slipping his gaze lower to see how perfect her breasts were, how adorable her bellybutton was and how the place he wanted to see the most looked, and that was her lap. He was sure he would have enough time to appreciate every tiny detail of her divine body, to explore all her curves and taste every inch of her delicious skin.

She trusted him and he had to show her how much it meant for him, so his eyes stayed glued to hers, keeping the eye contact between them, reading each other's emotions. He tugged at the towel and she obediently lifted her back so he could remove it from beneath her as she saw in the corners of her eyes how he threw the fluffy fabric away, finally having the free way to her body.

It felt like fantasy, some kind of strange dream because she couldn't believe she lay in front of him stark naked, without any sign of shyness. But it was true, it was genuine reality and she couldn't help the way her body shivered when he broke the endless staring at each other and looked at the piece of flesh beneath him, memorizing every detail he could, so he would know which parts he should focus on when he got to them.

The heat waves, which were washing her over, made her feel giddy because she could feel the way his eyes feasted all over her skin, admiring softly her intimate parts even though she didn't see his face. The inspection lasted a bit too long than she liked. She didn't want him just to look, she wanted him to experience it all. She wanted to feel his touch, to feel him inside her. She wanted to hear sweet nothings he would whisper huskily into her ear while building the pleasure for the benefit of both. She just wanted him in general.

She couldn't take it anymore, wondering what he was studying for so long when he could easily carry out the examination with his hands. So she reached into his hair with her fingers, tugging at it gently while lovingly weaving through it. He lifted his head, looking at her with expression of utter admiration, trying to find the right words that would describe her beauty well enough.

The look itself caused reddening of her cheeks as she flushed with heat from the desire and passion she could see in his eyes. "Simply gorgeous." He breathed out, knowing that he couldn't find any better words to express his astonishment at her perfect body, not caring about those scars he could see, as well. They were part of who she was. In his eyes, they only showed what she had been through and how wonderfully she had been able to deal with it, for which he admired her greatly.

She blushed even more and smiled shyly, pleased with his compliment. Those two words meant the world to her and she couldn't help than feel loved like never before. Maybe it was the pure sincerity he put into it, maybe it was the warmth of his gaze and the twinkle in his green eyes that made her believe every word he had said, but she trusted him like never before in her life.

Her hand tentatively cupped his cheek like she was afraid he might disappear and she might wake up from this beautiful dream. Leaning into her touch, he moved with his head so her hand shifted on his lips as he stuck his tongue out and licked her palm, earning a giggle from her. She pulled the hand away, wrapping it around his neck, giving him a hint what she wanted the most right now.

He got it immediately, bending down and catching her lips between his, but before he had the chance to even start with drinking the sweet taste of hers, another knock on the door disrupted his concentration. He was ready to go back to his room, take his gun and shoot the person behind the door even though he immediately recognized the bubbly voice that could belong to the only person in the world – Abby.

"Ziva, are you still there?" Abby uncertainly asked through the door, wondering whether Ziva was already in the bathroom and could actually hear her, since she didn't notice any movements or other similar sounds behind the door.

"Yes?!" Ziva squeaked out without thinking, which was primarily caused by her frustration that somebody had interrupted them again, with the difference that she was now already naked, and also by the fact that Tony had stopped hovering over her and let his body to descend on top of hers. It had never felt so amazing to be surrounded by man's body like in this very moment.

Tony, meanwhile, raised his hand, wanting to punch the mattress and express his anger, but she prevented him from doing so by catching his wrist and sending him a warning gaze. Such a sound might raise Abby's suspicion and they would never get rid of her, she was sure of it. He apologized to her with his gaze but that didn't subdue his wrath in any way.

"I think I should go answer the door and tell her what she's interrupting here!" He whispered through gritted teeth, trying to be as quiet as possible. He was getting tired of those interruptions. Couldn't he just get a little while with her completely alone?

"Sh, do not even think about it!" She reprimanded him, getting lost in what Abby was saying. But it wasn't anything important, she was just apologizing for disturbing her shower again. But so as not to confuse herself, she turned her head to see the door and started to perceive Abby's chatter.

"...just wanted to ask you – have you seen Tony? McGee is looking for him everywhere, he probably isn't in his room and he isn't answering his phone. We have no idea where he is, it's like he vanished off the face of the Earth or something." Abby said, wondering whether Ziva knew something about Tony's disappearance, because it was all getting rather suspicious.

Ziva's head turned back so quickly she almost heard her vertebrae to scrape against each other. She quickly found his eyes and looked at him with unreadable expression. This was her way out of this – she knew very well where Tony was and what he was doing, and the fact somebody was searching for him wasn't very favourable in this moment. She didn't want any more interruptions if she was going to give in completely.

She could just tell Abby that Tony was in her room and he would have to take his clothes back on and leave, since McGee certainly needed something important. If she wasn't able to kick him out by herself, then she just got her chance how to put an end to this. The question was what she really wanted – whether she truly wished for him to just go away and forget about all of this, or whether she was ready for this huge step further and actually give in to the temptation and experience how sweet it might be.

Tony watched her very closely, trying to read in her eyes what she was thinking. He recognized the realization very clearly and felt a bit disconcerted, since it looked she even pondered it – to tell Abby he was here in her room just to get rid of him. He couldn't believe she would do it. Maybe few minutes ago, but not now when he had her naked beneath him and that she even approved it. She just couldn't continue to lie to herself.

He didn't care McGee was looking for him. He wasn't interested in the needs of other people. He wanted to be selfish for a while and just think about his and her need to express their feelings for each other. Was it really too much to ask? He just wanted to have a private moment with a woman he loved, wanting to show her the depth of his feelings, nothing more.

And she was aware of that, she had shown him she trusted him so he really didn't want to believe she would just throw it all away and try to make him forget about what had happened between them. Because this certainly wasn't something he could just erase out of his mind. He could never forget the way she tasted, especially when he now had enough time to memorize her flavour.

His eyes were pleading her not to break his heart and give him the chance he had to show her exactly what he felt for her. He could feel her heart beat erratically as her eyes studied his face, trying to find answers to unspoken questions, knowing she had to decide very soon since Abby awaited a reply. His own heart mirrored the same speed as hers, but it was full of unimaginable fear. He didn't know what he would do if she really gave him away. The only thing he knew that the pain would be unbearable.

She dropped his hand that she still gripped and inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the way her nipples hardened against his bare chest, rubbing it gently and making her groan inwardly. "No, I haven't seen him. I have no clue where he might be, Abby." She gave Abby the answer about which she was completely certain. It didn't have any meaning to fight against something she just couldn't, he would try it again later anyway, she was sure about it.

Where was the point of any sort of struggle when this was a losing battle? He had her naked, he himself was half-naked, she wanted him and he wanted her. And to make him leave and forget about it? How could she after all those sensations he had awakened in her, especially when he had made her so horny by just few caresses and kisses? Call her weak but she wasn't afraid to admit it anymore because yes – she was weak when it came to him. But she didn't mind it at all.

Tony breathed a deep sigh of relief, lowering his head and tickling the crook of her neck with his nose as he chuckled. "You scared me a little for a second there, you know?" He whispered with obvious ease in his voice since she just gave him the permission he needed. She hadn't revealed his presence in the room and, moreover, she had denied she even knew where he was. Unambiguous proof of her want for him.

He couldn't be happier and admitted that she had to be rewarded for this. She couldn't show him in any better way that his seducing attempts hadn't been for nothing, that they had borne fruits in a way he wanted. So he attached his lips to her pulse point, feeling the vibration caused by another guttural groan she made, and started to suck delightfully on it, smiling smugly against her skin when he felt her body shiver under him.

She moaned softly, trying to stifle it since Abby was still standing behind the door, but her willpower was slowly fading away. Especially when he engaged his hands in pleasing her, tracing his way with his right hand from her hip up to her body while his left hand find her thigh, gripping it gently. She whispered his name when he nipped her earlobe, making her mind to go blank and stop paying attention to what was Abby saying although she heard some words in the distance.

"Oh, never mind. Thanks anyway. Sooner or later we'll find him with McGee so no worries. He couldn't just vanish into thin air, could he? So, see you later!" Abby replied cheerfully even though she began to worry what had happened to Tony. He had been fine when they had arrived to the hotel, but this disappearance was rather strange.

Tony pulled his face away from her neck so he would give her the chance to think and answer, smiling widely at her drunken expression, which signified how much turned on she actually was. "Yeah, see you Abby." She more breathed out than actually said, feeling completely dizzy and hoping there wouldn't be any more interruptions from now on. They didn't have too much time and she just needed to get what she wanted.

She turned her head back to the door, once more listening carefully to Abby's retreating steps while unconsciously massaging the nape of his neck and caressing his arm like she wanted to be sure he was still there because she already got used to the weight of his body on hers. He looked at the door too, but soon focused his gaze on the person that interested him the most and the way her flushed face glowed with heat caused by the desire she was slowly letting out.

When she was certain Abby was gone for good, she turned her head at him and looked into his face. She secretly and immediately fell in love with the roguish smile of his that still revealed his boyish nature as his eyes studied her with gratitude, since she had definitely just said yes to whatever he had in mind. It made her squirm, but that only widened the smirk as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards with amusement.

"What?" She asked him quietly, playing with his hair in the meantime, wondering whether he wanted to laugh at her since it wasn't even half an hour when she had tried to make him go back to his room and now she'd just denied his presence in her room and had lied to Abby about his whereabouts.

His amused grin, which could only be described as a smile of a Cheshire cat, was spread all over his face as he gazed at her triumphantly, satisfied with himself that she had yielded in the end. The fingers of his right hand started to play with her wet curls to repay her actions in similar way as he licked his lips lusciously, watching as her pupils darkened with lust when she saw his tongue.

"So, um... You haven't seen me, hm?" He asked her, the smug smile never leaving his face, trying not to burst out laughing. But he was so overjoyed with the fact that she'd given him the chance to show her what he felt for her that he would love to dance if he wasn't lying in the bed with Ziva David. That was situation he couldn't let to slip away. On the contrary – he had to make the most of it.

She lowered her eyes but then looked back at him, staring at him shyly. What was she supposed to tell him? That she was too weak to fight against her desires? That he was so damn irresistible that she couldn't help than want to give in? That it didn't matter anyway because she was already naked and surrounded by his almost-naked body? That she even let him strip her of her towel almost without any resistance?

Not that it was hard since the only thing she'd worn was the bloody excuse of a towel, and he had done a masterful job in seducing her, she had to give him that. But she didn't want to tell him any of this, since it would only boost his ego. And if Tony DiNozzo didn't need something, it was increasing his self-confidence. He managed to do that all by himself.

She sighed with a greedy moan and pursed her lips. "Shut up and kiss me." She conceded, succumbing to the inevitable, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head down to get the sweet kiss she so much hungered for, ready to kill him if he didn't obey.

He didn't wait any longer because although he loved teasing her, he knew he would have enough time in the future to remind her how she hadn't been able to resist him and make a proper use of it. His lips descended on hers, not at all hesitating in completely swallowing her, wanting to eat her up with his for far too long pent-up passion that was burning inside him for years.

The End of Chapter 9

Well, I hope you don't consider this as a cliffhanger, I think I've given you too many of them. :D This chapter was a bit shorter than the previous ones but I can totally promise you, that the following one is almost three times longer so you will get what you want for all the time in a very detailed way. ;) Take it as a Christmas present from me to you because you're so amazing that I have no words for it.

Next chapter is totally rated M so be prepared for it, of course. ;) The sweet giving in is finally here and I'm pretty sure you'll love it. ;)

Anyway, I have to return back to my studying because nobody will do those things for me, so I'm the only one who can make it. ;) Until next week – bye!