Author's note:
Ah, it feels so good to be back after such a long time. :) I hope you are all doing well and that you are excited for the newest update.
This chapter is probably very disjointed, I didn't have a good feeling when I reread it. However, even though I tried to rewrite it, the original was always better. I wrote this chapter for two months, always adding few words every day so please, forgive me if it's not that cohesive.
I want to thank you all for your support, especially to my closest friends and my regular reviewers, you're amazing and you are my solid rock in these hard times of finishing school.
Dear Debbie, thank you so much for your contribution and your support. It means a lot and I am happy to deliver you this chapter.
For the two Guest reviewers – Ziva will give him the chance. Not right away, but we are heading to it. ;) Just have to deal with usual things. Thanks both for the review.
Thanks also to Hockeymom for your review. Glad you liked it.
To rbutterfly10 – the newest update is here so I hope you'll enjoy. Thanks a lot for loving this story.
Also, glad to hear from you amaia! I'm glad you enjoy this.
My dear Celine – I am glad you are that patient. I know it was torturing to wait for this chapter, but here it is! :) By they way, how come that you were sure I was going to update today? ;)
Gigantic and the greatest thanks belongs to my dear friend, Athena. She supported me throughout the two months, tolerating my breakdowns over my dissertation when my adviser ordered me to rewrite it, supporting me endlessly in my writing and assuring me that I would finish it on time and that it would be great piece of work. Exactly that kind of support I needed from a dearest friend, because thanks to you, I didn't give up on myself and truth to be told, I was one step from throwing all away and giving up. Thanks, sweetie, you are the sister I've never had. :)
Disclaimer:
I do not own NCIS or the characters.
Towel – Chapter 16
This chapter is dedicated to my dear friend tivadivalover, whose birthday is on April 3rd. Card is on your way to UK, sweetie! Happy Birthday! :) And good luck, I hope that your life will be better from now on.
Ziva wondered whether Breena hadn't lost her mind a bit. This wasn't a rehearsal dinner, but a pretext for a matchmaking party. When she looked around, all she saw was handsome men and good-looking women in close-fitting dresses, apparently being 'victims' of Breena's desire to have everybody around her happy. It really looked more like an open market with single men and women.
She thought that everybody would look at her because of the dress she wore. But some of the present women wore even more provocative dresses than her. She glanced at Abby, who had the same look of surprise on her face, not quite believing to what she saw, either. Then she caught a glimpse of Breena, who was weaving her way through the people, introducing them to each other and smiling happily at all sides.
Looking over at Tony, while Jimmy waved at her wife-to-be to make her come closer and greet them, she couldn't believe her eyes. He was, currently, very impressed with some woman who was passing by at the moment and was openly undressing him with her eyes. She dug her nails into his hand but turned away before he had the chance to see what happened to her face. It contorted with jealousy, but she managed immediately hide it behind her stony expression.
His bewilderment was obvious but she didn't pay it any attention as she was accepting a hug from Breena, anyway. They complimented each other on their looks as Breena took charge of things and showed them to the table where they were supposed to sit, explaining to them how the night's dinner was meant to go. Then she bid her goodbye and went to take care of other friends of hers with Jimmy on her tail.
Once seated, all four took notice of their boss, who seemed to be much occupied with a certain woman who had come here with him – Dr. Samantha Ryan. It wasn't that they thought she was his perfect match, but since he didn't pay any attention to them thanks to her, they were satisfied. Tony welcomed it the most, since it gave him a great opportunity to tease Ziva without being afraid that his boss might give him head slap for it.
He couldn't resist but to lay his eyes upon her and again appreciate the cyan blue material that hugged her curves. He had to stop his hands from reaching out to her because he so much wanted to caress her naked skin in between the straps. It was alluring, but he also felt McGee's gaze on him, so he didn't dare to give Tim any satisfaction of proving him how the things between him and Ziva were.
Nevertheless, he couldn't take his eyes off of her and it was no wonder, since almost every man had noticed and ogled her. He had to grin widely when Ziva relaxed a bit and leaned her back against the chair, crossing her one leg over the other, revealing her smooth thigh. But he was the only one who saw it. That was a call he couldn't wait to hear so he hid his hand into his lap and gently brushed his fingers across her flesh to satisfy a little bit of his desire to touch her.
She didn't seem to mind it, being currently engaged in conversation with Abby, so he boldly changed the light touch to gently caresses, taking advantage of what she had offered to him. He was mesmerized by her, completely. Her curled hair, her intoxicating perfume and, on top of that, her goddess-like dress, were just too much for him to make him keep his hands to himself.
He couldn't help but squeeze her thigh, which caught her attention. She tensed but didn't say anything, curling her hands into fists. Then she looked over at him, sending him amazed gaze because she hadn't expected he would have been so daring to tease her right in front of their friends. The only thing she was given was his smug smile that clearly told how satisfied he was with himself.
She lowered her eyes, looking at his hand, and then she lifted her gaze back up, trying to sign to him that he should put the hand away, and quickly, if he didn't have a death wish. Licking his lips, he just winked at her and squeezed her thigh again. She gave out a silent gasp, momentarily forgetting to breathe when she saw his tongue. It brought very vivid sexual fantasy to her mind, seeing him as he licked her legs up, actually feeling his rough tongue on her skin like it was really happening.
She turned away before her lustful eyes could reveal her dirty thoughts, trying to ignore his hand but liking his touch so much that she didn't dare shove it away. She could hear his self-satisfied chuckle as she nervously smiled at Abby, not knowing what to do. Her frustration deepened when he opened his palm again, sliding his hand down to her knee and then back up. She clenched her crossed legs, but that didn't help at all.
Before she could start to moan or anything, she grasped his hand and ceased the movement that was sending shivers down her spine. He let her, finishing his Martini casually as if he wasn't doing his best to make his 'Bond girl' horny as Hell at all. This was all just the beginning of an evil teasing game he had decided to play. His aim was more than obvious, but besides that, he wanted to talk with her and, once and for all, resolve the situation between them. In privacy, of course.
She shot him a death glare, which hardened even more when she caught him examining the straps on her sides. He was literally caressing her skin with his hungry gaze and she couldn't help but feel turned on. "Can you look somewhere else?" She hissed through her gritted teeth, not wanting to be overheard, and digging her nails to his hand that was still placed on her thigh.
Judging by his smirk, he had to do his best not to start laughing aloud over her desperation. "I'm trying, really. It's hard, though." He replied with a suggestive wink after he looked her up and down once more.
She blushed as a heat wave washed over her because his statement screamed with a definite 'pun intended'. Her willpower wasn't as strong as she thought, because she couldn't resist and slipped her eyes down toward his crotch, wondering whether it really had been just a double entendre or whether he might be horny just as her. Looking back into his eyes, she realized that it was a bit of both because he certainly had the yearning gleam in his eye.
The grip she had applied on his hand had loosened so he could move with his fingers again, drawing little circles with his forefinger on her knee. She bit her lip contemplatively as she pondered whether to take him somewhere aside and kiss him senseless, or to ignore his obvious attempts to test her strength of will and how far she was willing to let him go with his teasing.
"Besides, I tried to look somewhere else. But you seemed to be jealous of that." He remarked with a smirk, still feeling her nails in his skin as she had dug them in more a few minutes ago, when some woman had unabashedly tried to get his attention. In which she had been successful, he had to admit that.
"I was not jealous." She opposed, turning her head away from him so he couldn't exactly tell that she was far away from being honest. She had been jealous, immensely. He was hers, even though not officially, with the addition she still had troubles to get over certain things. But that didn't change anything. He was supposed to have eyes only for her, and not for some other women.
Tony's heart dropped after the denial. Things had been going well, he had gotten another chance to prove her that the relationship between them was worth enough to fight for. But suddenly, she had to say something that made him feel like a complete fool again. He'd always gotten his hopes up, only to be disappointed when she crushed them by a single statement.
"Of course you weren't. How could you ever be jealous of me, right?" He snarled sarcastically, withdrawing his hand from her thigh and, rather, putting it on the table.
He had had enough of her proving to him that he meant nothing. Especially because the only thing she kept doing was to lying to herself, nothing more. She had been jealous of him more than once and had shown it. Why was it so hard for her to admit the truth? He didn't want to make fun of her later or anything. It wasn't a big deal, it would be only natural if she was jealous. But no, she had to hold on to her stubborn stance.
Ziva regretted her words since she had let them out of her mouth. She was surprised how the sarcasm in his voice stung in her heart, but it all made sense. She had put him down constantly and she didn't even know why. She had just felt the urge to put him in his place and maintain her intransigence. But she also knew she'd always hurt him, which had never been the intention.
She needed to learn how to stop with it and the best time to do that was right now. She didn't have any other choice but to try and fix the pain he felt at the moment. As much as she fought with herself over the reasons they couldn't be together, she loved him. And she couldn't watch her loved one suffer because of what she had done. It was exactly what she was afraid of and what she had vowed it wouldn't happen.
She reached out for him, grasping his arm and squeezing it to make him look at her. He didn't react, at first, but when another squeeze came, he glanced at her quickly and turned away immediately. It was enough to let her know that he wasn't interested in her apologizes, explanations or whatever, because he was getting tired of them. She couldn't say anything he hadn't heard before.
She opened her mouth to say something, to apologize and explain to him that she hadn't meant in the way he had taken it. However, she didn't get the chance because in that moment Breena stood up and everybody in the room went silent. The rehearsal dinner was going to officially start and Breena wanted to have a little speech before they could all start enjoying themselves.
"Hello, everyone! And welcome on this rehearsal dinner that is our grateful gesture to all of you for participating in our wedding preparations." Breena began, looking around with a smile that lighted up the room, being sure to look at everyone so she could really thank him/her for his/her contribution.
"And, trust me, I know that I was sometimes awfully obnoxious. Jimmy can confirm that." She continued, pausing because everybody chuckled or laughed over her statement, nodding in agreement.
Ziva didn't pay attention to any of that. She was firmly focused on Tony, sending him apologetic gazes. But he was successfully ignoring them. Because squeezing his arm hadn't had the desired effect, she decided to change her strategy and slipped her hand down on his thigh, hoping that it would work. It was a desperate attempt, she knew it, but it was probably the only way to show him that she was still interested in him.
She felt how his muscles flexed as he acknowledged her hand and she could swear she heard a whimper when she opened her palm and spread her fingers across his thigh. He didn't look at her, though, focusing his eyes on Breena. She raised her forefinger and lightly started to write the word 'sorry' on the material of his pants, knowing he could feel it on his skin, so he knew what she tried to say without the actual spoken words.
"Anyway, I'm so happy you are all here with us, celebrating our happiness and I want to thank you for that. After everything we all have been put through, we finally got here and I'm glad you're here to witness it." Breena continued with her speech, squeezing Jimmy's hand for support and smiling at all sides as every bride-to-be who couldn't wait for her day to come.
"So, I hope you will enjoy this dinner, and that you'll get to know each other and that you will have a great time." Breena didn't forget to hint that this dinner was really just a pretext for pushing some people together. It was an amazing opportunity that she couldn't let slip away.
Ziva smiled upon hearing her words, making little circles with her thumb on Tony's knee at the moment. She smirked when she saw how he curled his hand into fist, bringing it to his mouth to stop himself from moaning. It wasn't just a pure torture for him, because he was also angry with her and this certainly wasn't helping him to stay in such a state. He didn't want to forgive her so easily and quickly for what she had done.
However, he almost lost it when she rubbed her hand up from his knee to his crotch, brushing her fingers lightly across his intimate parts. Although he had his pants on, it felt as if she had touched him skin on skin. And since he was already familiar with such a feeling, he couldn't help but groan inwardly, squeezing his eyes shut to keep it together and not to lose his mind.
She ceased her movements, waiting for his reaction which came almost instantly. Opening his eyes, he looked at her and stared into her desirous, apologetic eyes. He couldn't be angry with the face she was giving him. He loved her too much to do this to her, let alone to himself. So, he slowly smiled, giving her a hint that he was forgiving her for the time being because she had shown him she hadn't meant her words in the bad way.
She returned the smile gratefully, her eyes sparkling with happiness, especially when he slipped his hand back down, taking hers and lacing their fingers together. She squeezed his hand, but then they both turned their heads in the direction of Breena to hear the rest of her speech, occasionally teasing each other with their thumbs, but being careful so Abby and McGee wouldn't notice anything.
"Now, some organizational stuff." Breena announced and began to explain the plan of the dinner. At first, the meal was the main focus. Afterwards there was going to be a free entertainment, during which people could dance. The main purpose of this was to make the ladies and men get to know each other.
Around 9 o'clock, the company was supposed to split on two halves – Breena's half stayed here in the dining hall and Jimmy's half had a lounge in the next room. They wanted to share their last moments of 'freedom' with the people who they considered to be their friends. And since the couples Breena wanted to bring together were actually 'together' in their respective halves, she wasn't disappointed with the separation.
Ziva's role was to stay with the Breena's half, hand over the gift and go to the lounge to Jimmy's half. But if she wanted to be honest, this dinner was, at the moment, the last place she wanted to be. She, rather, wanted to be in her room with Tony. Especially because it was him who made her think about some very vivid sexual fantasies that appeared in her head every time he looked at her.
She knew he had similar thoughts. She could read them in his eyes and it all made her even hornier. She hated the effect his longing gaze had on her, but she loved it too much to fight it. Her sweaty hand rubbed against his sensually and she couldn't stop the flashes of heated moments in bed with him in her mind as she literally felt his hands all over her body, touching her on all the right places.
Luckily for her, at least she thought so, Breena finished her speech and waiters started to bring the meals to their tables, together with the wine. She chose a red one, taking a sip immediately after the waiter poured the dark red liquid into her glass, hoping it would calm her down. Instead, it sent fire through her veins and only added the fuel to her excitement.
Taking the knife and the fork into her hands, she, rather, started to pay attention to her meal. But Tony didn't give her the peace she wished for. He was gazing at her endlessly, so she could feel his eyes on her all the time, not giving her any second to breathe freely. He was aware of the influence he had on her and he couldn't not take advantage of such a chance.
Digging into his own meal, he watched as she took another sip from the glass and couldn't do anything else but feel amused. "If only I were the wine you're drinking..." He gave out a sigh, looking at her wistfully but having the teasing smirk on his face.
She slowed down her chewing, holding the glass of wine in her hand and raising her eyebrow in question to sign to him that she wanted to know what exactly he had meant by his statement. His reply was something she hadn't expected at all and it had made her to regret she had ever lifted the glass and drunk from it. He was really in a good teasing form tonight and she began to wonder how she was supposed to survive it.
"Because then, I would be already inside you." He answered leisurely, as if he was uttering a completely normal sentence and not a double entendre, chuckling when he saw her reaction.
Ziva immediately choked on her wine, putting the glass down on the table so she wouldn't break it and welcoming Abby's assist in calming her down. Coughing, she tried to catch her breath and gripped the edges of the table tightly, not only to get back to normal, but also to suppress the reaction his words had induced in her. If she had thought that she couldn't get any more aroused, she would have been very mistaken.
She couldn't stop thinking about how wonderfully it had felt to be surrounded by his body. What an amazing and attentive lover he was, always touching her where she needed it, always kissing her when she desired it and making her go crazy with all those sweet nothings he whispered in her ears. She realized that she actually wished for the same thing – him inside her.
She took a deep breath, shaking her head lightly, noticing that she wasn't gripping the table anymore but Abby's arm. She felt as Tony's hand soothingly rubbed her back to help her, but he stopped when he caught McGee staring at him. Tim obviously had heard what Tony had said and knew very well what it had insinuated, because he was looking Tony up and down incredulously as if he went insane or something.
Not wanting to draw any more attention to himself, Tony brought up some topic to discuss with the others and returned to his meal. Ziva was grateful for this because things went back to normal for a while and she could finally pull herself together. It was truly important for her because she wasn't too far away from dragging him out of there and finding some dark corner where they could make out.
Tony fell silent, allowing McGee and Abby to direct the conversation. If he said something, it was only for Ziva's ears and it had some sexual subtext, just for the fun of it. She always glared at him, but her heavy breathing proved that it boosted her libido and enriched her dirty fantasies every time she thought she was fine enough. Her imagination was on overdrive and she couldn't stop it.
She was on the brink of her sanity the moment he finished his meal and comfortably leaned his back against the chair. "Do you have any underwear?" He asked her quietly, completely out of the blue, making her cheeks turn red.
It was a question she dreaded he might not only ask, but try to find out. The dress she wore was, really, very advantageous for it and she couldn't stop him, if she didn't want to break any of his limbs. To guard all the gaps between the straps was just beyond her powers. Once he got inside, she couldn't do too much. Only to stop his movements. But he still could get pretty far if he was fast enough.
Hoping he wouldn't do it and would behave like he should, she gulped, trying to get rid of the blush on her cheeks. "That's none of your business." She replied calmly, subconsciously playing with her hair to engage her hands somehow, so she wouldn't show her nervousness.
Before she could even blink, he shot out his right hand and stuck it behind the material of the dress, right between the third and fourth strap. Even though she reacted immediately, stopping his hand right away, he managed to get straight to her lap and found, by touch, the thong that she wore. She flushed once again, from head to toe, turning her head away slightly to look at him, and mainly to hide herself from Abby and McGee because she certainly didn't want them to know what Tony had dared to do.
She felt as his fingers moved, inspecting the fabric of her underwear so he could tell what sort of garment it was. He looked her right in the eye when he hooked his finger into the thong, watching as her eyes widened because she feverishly wondered what he had in mind to do. Judging by the way he licked his lips, his intentions were more than obvious and she gulped nervously to swallow the lump in her throat.
She was so conflicted that she couldn't say a word. On the one hand, she wanted his hand to stay where it was and maybe even shift it on the place where she desired it the most. But on the other, it really wasn't appropriate to let him grope her at the table where they were sitting with their friends. No one had ever made such chaos inside her head like this man in front of her.
With a teasing smirk on his face, she both hated and loved, he stopped torturing her and unhooked the finger from the thong, not carrying any further action. He withdrew his hand from beneath the fabric, making sure he rubbed her skin while doing so, and winked at her seductively. He had his answer so he had a reason to feel satisfied. She, by contrast, was on the edge of very ardent outburst that could have certain consequences.
However, in the corner of her eye, she caught a sight of the woman who had tried to ingratiate herself with Tony earlier. Her predatory look and the way she tried to show her assets were telling an obvious thing – she had decided to get Tony, whatever it cost. Ziva just watched incredulously as she stopped in front of him, smiling at him while he evidently couldn't hide the fact he was enjoying this too much.
But this was too much for Ziva to bear. At one moment, she didn't want to do anything else but kiss him and never stop, and at the other, she'd love to kill him for his unrelenting desire to watch every beautiful woman within sight. Not that it was a bad thing. She did the same, as well, with men. But she was here with him, sitting right next to him and, still, he suddenly started to ignore her like if she was nobody.
"Excuse me." She, rather, stood up and decided to go to the restroom to compose herself and calm herself down before the arousal could make her to do some very inappropriate things. Especially when they would be driven by jealousy and rage.
She quickly weaved her way through the people who had started to talk with each other since most of them had finished their meals. When she turned her head aside, she could see that Breena and Jimmy were already dancing and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of two of them. She wished for something like that – the intimacy, happiness and certainty between them were adorable. But it probably wasn't meant for her. She was too affected by her past.
She took her time at restroom because no one was there, which was a pretty odd thing, considering how many women were at the rehearsal dinner. But it gave her enough time to find solid ground again and clear her head which had been darkened by filthy images since Tony had dared to lay his hands upon her. His power over her was staggering and she didn't know how to handle it.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she tried to find the remnants of the confidence she'd once had in her eyes but she couldn't find anything. He had robbed her of it. Slowly but certainly, he had made his way straight to her heart and embedded there as if he had belonged there from the moment they had met. She had given herself to him for real back in her room that afternoon.
She subconsciously put her hand over her heart while still staring at herself, feeling as her heart started to hammer just because she was thinking of him. There was also pain, a pang of jealousy inside her when she remembered how he had appreciated the woman who'd had interest in him. It quickly turned into anger, which was her way to cope with the green-eyed monster whose existence she was refusing to admit.
Hastily, she washed her hands before drying them off with a paper towel and throwing it into a bin, muttering under her breath about his womanizer nature. She opened the door of the restroom and stepped out in the hallway, freezing on the spot in an instant. If she certainly didn't expect something, then it would be Tony leaning against the wall as he apparently waited for her to come out.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him, dumbfounded, as the door clicked shut behind her. His leisurely stance with crossed arms against his chest was making her nervous for some reason. She just couldn't put a finger on as to why.
"Doing what you asked me to – protecting you. Do you know how many perverts could have followed you in here?" He replied patiently, pointing out their deal that he was supposed to guard her and chase off any possible suitor.
She didn't say anything to it, just mirrored his position as she leaned against the wall, right next to the door of the restroom. Part of her felt flattered, but the second part still refused to let go of the jealousy. "I thought you were too busy with the woman who showed such an interest in you." She stated, not being able to hide the virulence in her voice that was direct at the shameful woman.
Tony chuckled at the sudden possessiveness she apparently couldn't disprove, as distinct from her previous denials about her green-eyed thoughts. She was jealous, enormously jealous and it pleased him for some strange reason. He didn't take jealousy as a proof of her love but it showed him that her interest in him was real. He felt a bit uncertain, though, because the thought that it could have all been dream was disturbing him very much.
"For your information, I rejected her. She won't bother me anymore." He informed her that he was only hers, fighting the smirk on his face with certain difficulties.
"Aha." She acknowledged vaguely, but turning scarlet because she felt like a fool. Like a big, jealous fool. What is happening with me? This wasn't her. She usually didn't behave like that. Why is it always so different whenever Tony is around?
Tony watched her for few seconds, trying to read her thoughts, but she refused to meet his gaze. Regardless of it, he could feel she was embarrassed and didn't know how to act because she wasn't recognizing herself. So, he decided to lighten the whole thing up and, rather, focus on the secondary motive as to why he had followed her on the restroom. He wanted to have a little moment of privacy with her.
"You know, when you asked me to go to this wedding with you because Breena made you to buy some dress that might be a bit too provocative and you needed a protector, I have to admit that my fantasies went into overdrive." He told her, licking his lips and smiling at her mischievously. It was time to appreciate her choice of dress a bit more than before.
She looked up at him, then looked at herself because she totally forgot about her current attire. Her head shot back up when she realized he had made a step towards her. All over again, she felt as if they had never left the room. As if they were there because everything was so similar to that situation – the door, his evident determination and her unrelenting doubts. Only now, she wore a revealing dress and not a sad excuse of a towel.
"They were really rich and wild but... I'd never expect something so..." He continued, standing right in front of her, putting one of his hands on the small of her back as he started to examine the dress by touch once again. He had paused mid-sentence to ponder what to say next.
She breathed out shakily, putting her hands behind her back to grip the door frame to stop herself from repaying his caresses. She still couldn't believe to what this man made her feel because of one, stupid touch. She honestly didn't know what she wanted because, just a few seconds ago, this was everything she had dreamed of but now, she suddenly wasn't so sure.
"I don't even have the words to describe it, to be honest. How did you put this on?" He asked her, because he still couldn't figure out how the damn dress was supposed to be taken off. He had tried to find some zipper on the back, but hadn't found anything. Not that he needed to know it right away. He just wanted to be prepared once the dinner ended.
She tried to do her best to get control over her body, which had started to shiver because of his closeness. But it was pretty hard. "That's none of your concern. You won't be the one who takes it off tonight." She replied boldly as the rational side of her managed to suppress the side of her that wanted to shove her tongue into his mouth and get lost in the sensations.
But he didn't let her answer to throw him off balance. On the contrary, his eyes lightened up as a self-satisfied smirk appeared on his face. "Is that an invitation for a striptease? Because I'd definitely take it." He offered his solution to the problem that he didn't have any idea how to strip her of the dress without damaging it. And the thought of her doing a striptease for him - certainly another sight to die for.
She opened her mouth immediately to cool him down, but then she paused as the words got stuck in her throat. As she looked straight into his eyes, she realized that this wasn't just about the sexual attraction between them. He didn't stop loving her in the last few hours. His love was only growing and growing, she could see that. The affection in his face was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
Before she even knew it, he leaned closer and nudged her nose with his, making her sweat with desire. The only thing she wanted to do was wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him, but she was very aware of where they were. The hallway in the hotel really wasn't the best place for making out, especially because anybody could come here at any time since this hallway led to restrooms.
"Keep your distance, Tony. OK?" She told him, putting her hands on his chest and pushing him a little bit away. She didn't want anyone to see them, so she, rather, looked over both sides to check if anyone was within sight.
Tony sighed, making a tiny step backwards to give her the demanded space, putting his hand on the wall next to her head to find a support. "Why? You can always walk away." He offered to her that if she wanted to put the brakes on him, then she absolutely could. His voice was calm and teasing in the same time because he found her nervousness very adorable.
As she was chewing her thumb, she lifted her eyes to him and her expression was more than revealing. To be alone with him, at least for a little while, was truly something she wished for, but her doubts were keeping her back from losing her control over herself. She knew she could walk away if she wanted, but it would break her heart if she just let him stand there. But on the other hand, she didn't want to take advantage of this situation of satisfying her cravings, because the need of a proper talk between them was urgent.
"What if I do not want to?" She asked him a rhetorical question because she didn't expect an answer. She was sure that it would confuse him because she had pushed him away, but she also didn't want to go back on the dinner and wanted to stay here with him. Her reactions were contradictory, but she couldn't help herself.
The effect was the exact one she knew would come. He grimaced confusedly and straightened back up, furrowing his eyebrows. Stepping away from her completely, he leaned against the opposite wall once more, crossing his arms across his chest as he watched her intently. He either wasn't getting her signs very well or he honestly didn't have any idea what was going on with her.
"Then I don't see where the problem exactly is." He commented, knowing for sure that she wanted to kiss him at least but, for some reason, she couldn't relax enough to actually do so. And he truly didn't understand what worried her in this situation – they were alone and that was all they needed.
She noticed the challenge in his voice as he apparently had given her the space to do whatever she wanted, but it had to be her call. He wasn't going to push her into anything. That was why he stepped away from her. If she wanted to get something only he could give her, then she had to take it by herself. He would only cooperate, but the initiative had to be from her side.
Glancing around, she unglued herself from the wall and made a step towards him, putting her hands on his shoulders. She slid them down to feel his chest through the fabric of the jacket he wore. Her want for him hadn't gone away as she had hoped. It was still present, and maybe even stronger than before. He noticeably took delight in her touches but didn't do anything to nudge her into taking this further.
"This is a public place, you know. Somebody can come here and see us." She explained to him, playing with the lapels of his jacket, adjusting them with quite adorable care. She licked her lips for the emphasis that she really wanted to give in to some make-out session, but she definitely preferred some private place and not a public hallway.
He chuckled at her answer, because he got her uncomfortable feeling but they couldn't just sneak away from the dinner and this was probably the only place where they could have some moment of privacy. "Can't believe that it would ever stop you from getting what you want." He stated, finally giving in and snaking his arms around her waist, holding her possessively.
She whimpered inwardly, melting in his arms and watching his face affectionately because she just couldn't help herself. Once this man touched her, she was doomed. All her previous promises were forgotten the moment he started to treat her as if she was his lawful girlfriend. And she had to admit that such a thought made her really happy and it spread an unfamiliar warmth across her body.
"Just take whatever your heart desires." He invited her to forget about everything and just live out the moment with him. He was revelling in the way her body pressed against his with fantastic easiness as he caressed her hips, fully taking advantage of the way her dress was designed.
She looked up at him, batting her eyelashes innocently and wondering whether to accept the invitation or not. She wanted speak with him first, but he had apparently given her permission to do with him whatever she pleased, without any proper talk between them. And her desire to kiss him was really a strong one. To fight the urge was becoming impossible as every part of her, maybe except her brain, craved for his lips.
"Really?" She asked him for assurance, toying with his tie and sinking her teeth into her bottom lip seductively. A shiver ran down her spine as she felt his fingers lightly caress her skin in between the straps of her dress.
"You have my permission." He nodded in agreement because, despite the fact that he knew that they needed to talk, he just couldn't let such a chance for a kiss slip away. Everything seemed to be fine for the time being so, why try to find problems where they apparently weren't?
He didn't have to tell her twice. Once those final words slipped out of his mouth, she yanked with his tie and crashed her lips onto his. She couldn't control herself anymore. She was kissing him furiously, with a hunger of a wolf, as if a lifetime had gone by since they had shared their last kiss. He wasn't surprised, because he felt the same. He already knew that she was addictive like a drug.
So, he repaid the kisses with the same fervour, showing the same desperation with which he wanted to prove his feelings for her. His hands now firmly gripped her waist, digging into her skin possessively, focusing only on the movements of his mouth so he could keep up with the rhythm she had set. He was delighted with each whimper she let out whenever she had the chance and he certainly didn't fall behind with his moans of pleasure.
But the way she was tagging at his tie, was strangling him a bit and it was depriving him of the needed fresh air. She soon understood that her passion was a bit destructive, judging by his moans that expressed more pain than pleasure. So, she wrapped one of her hands around his neck to bring him closer, by which she fantastically changed the angle and he felt as if he just entered the seventh heaven.
She was perfect and kissing her felt so natural. It was something he couldn't give up, ever, in his life. His arms embraced her whole body, hugging her tightly, pressing her closer and closer to his chest. He knew that he was crushing her but the hopeless notion that this was all just a dream didn't allow him to loosen up his grip. On the contrary, he needed more of her because she was his everything.
He was so caught up in her that he barely registered that she was slowly turning them around. However, his legs listened to her demands and he did few steps backwards, suddenly finding himself pressed against the wall, next to the door of the restroom where she had been leaning just few minutes ago. He didn't protest at all. It actually felt very interesting to experience what she'd had to feel when he had been seducing her in her room as he had pressed her into the door to the bathroom.
She released his lips to take a breath and he welcomed it, too. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, his knees almost gave away. The wild expression of unbridled passion and lust on her face was something he couldn't get enough of. She even teased him when she licked her lips in a way he could clearly see it, letting go of his tie and wrapping the second arm around his neck, as well.
He lifted his hand, adjusting the curls she had made with hair rollers, revelling in the fantastic smoothness of her hair. His skin was covered by goose bumps as her hot, ragged breath fanned his jaw and his face while she also played with his hair at the nape of his neck. Slipping his eyes towards her lips, he couldn't help himself anymore and cupped her cheek, leaning his head in and joining their lips back together.
She didn't object since his kiss was everything that interested her at that moment, filling her lungs with enough fresh air to stand the eternal bliss he was producing by the movement of his mouth. When his tongue blithely and easily parted her lips, seeking her own, she complied and intertwined them, starting a sensational massage. His hands started to roam and she noticeably shivered, moaning in pleasure to demand more.
Thanks to the design of the dress, she didn't have any problems when he took her by her thigh and lifted her leg to hook it around his hip. She leaned her knee against the wall, which brought their impassioned bodies even more together, and she used it for grinding her pelvis against his. The thoughts about talking or not wanting to make out in the hallway completely vanished from her mind.
They would have most likely gone even further with this, if it wasn't for the person that cleared her throat in attempt to gain their attention. Ziva heard it somewhere in the back of her mind, but she didn't want to stop. However, it made her brain to go back to work and once she started thinking, she realized what she had been doing, with whom and, primarily, where.
She broke the kiss, looking aside and immediately turned pale when she saw Dr. Samantha Ryan, who didn't even try to hide the amused smirk. Tony looked over at her, too, gulping nervously. But he still held Ziva in his arms since her leg was still hooked around his hip. They had no idea how to act at that moment, but both had the same question. Will she say anything to Gibbs about what she just saw?
"I'm really sorry to interrupt, but I need to go inside." Dr. Ryan apologized, signalling to them that all she had wanted was to go to the restroom, and that they had sort of blocked the only possible entry.
Ziva nodded, put her leg down back on the floor and stepped away from Tony to make room for the doctor. Dr. Ryan gave both a wide smile and went pass them, turning around as she apparently had something to say. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm not going to give away your secret. But you should be aware that Gibbs is on his way here." She winked at them and closed the door behind her, leaving them in the hallway.
It took just few seconds for it to dawn on Ziva what the information meant to them. Her absent look turned into a troubled one as she gazed at Tony. He had it in mind to tell her something, because he was taking a breath and opened his mouth, but she didn't let him. Without a word, she turned on her heel and walked away hastily, lost in her own thoughts because she truly couldn't understand how it was possible that this man and his actions always managed to suppress her rational thinking.
She didn't even register that she almost collided into Gibbs and immediately headed back to their table. Tony only closed his eyes and sighed wearily. He'd love to be in her head to see what was happening there, because sometimes he didn't understand her at all. But he didn't have time to ponder why she behaved in such a confusing way. Gibbs could be here at any minute and it would look certainly suspicious for him to see Ziva at first, and then Tony in the hallway with obvious signs of having made out.
He entered the door that was a short way off the door he had been standing next to, realizing that there was men's restroom behind it, which was absolutely great for him. Turning the tap on, he washed his hands to make the impression that it was one of the reasons why he had visited the restroom. He stiffened a bit when Gibbs entered, trying to hide it but, not very well.
"Boss!" He exclaimed cheerfully, getting nervous with Gibbs' X-ray gaze that was reflecting in the mirror in front of him.
Gibbs didn't do anything to return the greeting. He just stood there silently, studying Tony carefully as the younger agent dried his hands off and turned around to face him. The nervous stance of his surrogate son always told him that he had done something that went against the rules he enforced. But on the other hand, it also testified about the amount of respect between them, because it was obvious that Tony feared some punishment.
"Don't screw it up, DiNozzo. You have only once chance." He advise him, walking around him and doing what he needed to do in the restroom.
Tony stood there for a little while a bit perplexed, wondering how the Hell his boss could have noticed anything. Then, he slowly smiled. His boss knew everything about everybody, or at least it always seemed like it. Of course, he would notice the change between his two agents even though he didn't share the table with them, nor had they spoken so far during the dinner.
The main question, however, was – what exactly did Gibbs mean? Is he the one who is giving him the only chance? Does it mean that his boss did just allow him to break his rules and ordered him to do whatever it takes to fight for his love? Or was he talking about Ziva? That this is the only chance he has with her because she won't let him to get through her walls ever again?
Deeply lost in his thoughts, Tony opened the door to the restroom and went out into the hallway. It didn't actually matter what meaning behind Gibbs words exactly was. Either way, he had a plenty of work in front of him. He had to convince Ziva to give them the chance and make her to admit her feelings for him without any possibility taking it back. That was the only aim of tonight's rehearsal dinner, and he was going to follow through.
The End of Chapter 16
I hope you enjoyed. Trust me, I am so happy I get this chapter done, because it took me forever to finish it. Where do you think Ziva went? Did she run away? Did she change her thoughts just because Gibbs almost caught them? Torturing questions, right? ;)
Anyway, as for the next chapter, it should be posted in 14 days. I am still working on it, my semester ends this week, then there is the necessary exam from one of my subjects and two months of learning on my finals and my dissertation defence. It's happening all too fast. Goodbye school... Also, I wanted to ask whether you want shorter or longer chapters? The one I'm writing is getting pretty long and I don't want to exhaust you with my descriptive writing, because I can't seem to get rid of that (blame Freud :D). So, please, TELL me which one you want. Shorter are for me from 3,500 to 5,000 words. Everything above that is long. Thanks in adavance. :)
And in closing, I have to let my fantasy heart to speak up, even though it's been few weeks already. RIP Terry Pratchett, the great fantasy writer, the inventor of Discworld and all those amazing characters I always enjoy to read about. You were one of my inspirations to even start writing, to stop being afraid of what people will say or think about it and just do it. I will honour your personality and your work in the next few months by re-reading all Discworld books by which I will also return to the part of my childhood that, despite all the problems, was brighter also thanks to you. And of course, by donating every month on research of Alzheimer's disease because that is the reason why you are no longer with us. "AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER." Terry took Death's arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night. The End.