Fake Engaged AU, Part 2

"See, I told you it would bring out her eyes."

It was the first thing out of Will's mouth when Tessa emerged from the walk-in closet and his tone of voice when he said it was just appreciative enough to keep her from turning around and changing into sweatpants. If Jem hadn't been sitting next to him on the couch, she might have done it anyway. But, he was sitting there and he was wearing beautifully made tuxedo pants and a crisp white shirt and he was looking at her with something akin to awe on his face. It took him only a moment to compose himself and turn a little pink and it was somehow enough to propel her forward and she smiled back at him in spite of her discomfort.

"It is a, ah, a very nice color on you," he said as she approached.

The charcoal silk dress did bring out her eyes, she had to give Will that. Although, that was if anyone looking at her could get past the thigh high slit in the trumpet skirt, or the open back, or the deep V that ended in the middle of her sternum. If anyone managed to get past the vast expanses of bare skin and shapely limbs that the dress revealed, then the dress' color did darken her eyes so that they shone out of her face.

"I told you so," Will repeated. "It's alright if you don't want to admit that I have a superior sartorial sense. I'll settle for you admitting that no one will be able to take their eyes of her tonight."

"I wasn't aware that was one of our goals," Jem murmured as he stood and shrugged on his tuxedo jacket. She noted that the tux was the perfect shade of dark grey to compliment her gown and she wondered if it had been his idea or Will's.

"It never hurts to have a pretty girl in a beautiful dress available to distract the attention of every man in the room," Will said with a shrug. "Just in case."

"For someone with a superior fashion sense, your outfit it pretty awful," Tessa quipped, eager to get the attention off of her. "What kind of charity gala are you going to?"

Will sighed heavily, "Alas, I am a bartender this evening. My outfit is the unfortunate result of trying to match your staff's uniform to your ballroom's wallpaper."

"The wallpaper is purple?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Mauve actually," he replied without blinking. "And that dress will be striking against that backdrop."

"I think you missed your calling, William," Jem muttered. He picked a slim black velvet box off of the coffee table and handed it to Tessa with an exaggerated bow. "For my bride-to-be."

She opened the box and sighed dramatically at its contents. "Oh darling, you shouldn't have."

Inside was a sparkling diamond bracelet, a tiny earpiece, and a slender stiletto knife that was no longer than her pinkie. Jem lifted the bracelet from the box and helped her clasp it around her wrist.

"There's a tiny microphone in here," he said, gesturing to the stone closest to the clasp. "It's very sensitive, so you won't have to talk into your wrist or anything that would look too out of the ordinary. We'll be able to hear everything you say. There's also a GPS device in it, so if we get separated, I'll be able to find you"

"Why would we be separated?" she asked, her voice coming out higher than she'd meant it.

"It's just a precaution," Jem said, taking both her hands and giving them a squeeze. "Either Will or I will have eyes on you all night."

"And you'll be able to hear us through the earpiece, of course," Will chimed in, his keen eyes observing how Jem's long fingers were still wrapped tightly around hers. Tessa noticed his attention and blushed as she withdrew from Jem and reached for the earpiece.

"And what I am I supposed to do with the knife?" she asked as she slipped it into place in place. "Do you expect me to need it?"

"Just another precaution," Jem soothed.

"And there should be a sheath in the lace at the top of your stockings," Will supplied. "You are wearing the stockings I packed for you, aren't you?"

She was. She just didn't want to reveal the tops of her thighs to both of them in order to put the stiletto in place. Jem sensed her unease and shot her an apologetic look.

"I should have given you the knife before you got dressed, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'll just be a minute," she said as she ducked back into the closet.

"Careful!" Will called after her. "The tip of that thing is dipped in an absurdly potent and fast acting sedative."

The coat check girl took Tessa's wrap and Tessa shivered in spite of the fact that the hotel's lobby was almost balmy. Jem put his hand on the small of her back and then withdrew it immediately when she jumped as his fingers brushed against her bare skin. He recovered quickly and took her hand instead, leaning towards her as if to kiss the top of her head.

"I don't doubt that you can do this," he whispered into her hair. "But if you're uncomfortable, we can leave now and it will be alright."

"He's lying, Tess." Will's voice in her earpiece made it sound like he was standing right next to her. "If you back out now, Carolina Carter gets away with one more thing and you get to spend more time in Her Majesty's best safe houses. This is one of the best shots we've had in months and it could change the whole game. No pressure, of course."

She blanched slightly and looked up at Jem, who smiled at her and then surprised both of them by actually pressing his lips to her temple. "You are going to be fantastic." He drew away from her and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

She was so busy blushing as Jem led her to their table that she didn't notice that their tablemates included Axel Mortmain until she was sitting next to him.

"Axel," she said, hoping her voice didn't convey too much dismay. Most of tonight's plan relied on the fact that Mortmain would be too busy entertaining her guests to notice what she and Jem were doing. "How kind of you to get us seats at your own table."

Mortmain took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips in greeting. "Only the best for Nathaniel's family. May I say that you look magnificent tonight?"

"Doesn't she?" Jem asked as he reached around her to shake Mortmain's hand and forcing him to release her. "I just can't believe the things the color does for her eyes."

"Yes, her eyes…" Mortmain murmured, his eyes raking up and down Tessa's form before he composed himself. "So Nate tells me that he spent the day showing the two of you about the city. What was your favorite part?"

Tessa forced a smile onto her face. "I couldn't possibly pick one thing! There was just so much...I especially loved the place we went to lunch, what was it, Nate?" She glanced across that table at her brother, but Nate wasn't paying attention to her. He was scanning the room as if he were searching for something or someone and it made Tessa nervous. "Um, Nate?"

"The Moro, darling," Jem said smoothly. "Nathaniel said that it's one of your favorite places."

"I adore North African cuisine," Mortmain replied. "In fact, I specifically requested that several of tonight's dishes reflect Moro's menu."

Tessa turned to Jem. "Speaking of which, are your feeling better, my love?" This question was carefully planned. In order for Jem to slip away and hunt for the thumb drive, the plan was that he was going to feign illness. She leaned conspiratorially towards Mortmain and stage whispered, "I'm afraid my fiance may have indulged a little heartily at lunch and is paying the price for it now."

Jem winced and Mortmain laughed out loud. "It certainly doesn't agree with everyone. I hope you can stomach tonight's entree."

Jem shook his head and smiled wryly. "I hope I can too."

Dinner went smoothly, although Jem didn't have a chance to slip away. Instead of paying attention to his other guests, Mortmain remained fixated on Tessa. Nate eventually determined that he wasn't going to find whatever he'd been scanning the room for earlier and lapsed into telling stories about their childhood, pausing only to look over his shoulder like he was certain he would find someone with a gun standing behind him. Tessa laughed in all the right places and added details when Nate forgot and Jem chuckled and gazed at her adoringly while Will muttered sarcastic quips into their ears that made Tessa choke on her water twice. When the dessert plates were finally cleared away, the master of ceremonies announced that the dancing portion of the evening was about to commence and Mortmain turned to Tessa with a chagrined smile.

"As the host of this event, it is my responsibility to open the ball with the first dance. Unfortunately, the lady I had in mind was unable to attend tonight. Would you do me the honor?"

Tessa's jaw dropped and she shot Jem a nervous look. He smiled and patted her hand. "You're such a marvelous dancer, darling. You must do it."

"You really must," Will said in her ear. "It's the perfect chance for Jem to slip away unnoticed. Besides, that dress was made to be shown off."

She had to force herself to resist rolling her eyes and smile instead. "I would be delighted."

Mortmain beamed at her. "Fantastic. I believe the first dance is a tango, but I can instruct the maestro to change it if you don't know how."

"She's quite good at the tango," Jem said before she could answer. "We've been practicing for the wedding. Tessa's a natural."

He wasn't lying. Two hours a day of their prep work for this mission had involved dance lessons with the terrifying Mme. Morel, an ex-ballerina who'd convinced MI-6 that she was essential to their success in the field. Tessa now knew the basics of most ballroom dances and even looked like she knew what she was doing when Jem (who was a truly fantastic dancer) was leading her around the floor. But the one time Jem hadn't been able to make it to their lesson due to a mission briefing, she'd had to dance with a guard and it had been awful, even though Gabriel Lightwood had been what Mme. Morel declared a sufficient partner.

But the tango was a dance she could manage and, as Will said, it was the perfect opportunity, so she beamed at Mortmain and told him the tango would be wonderful.

Dancing the tango with Mortmain was not wonderful.

She was worried about Jem, who'd slipped away almost immediately after the first notes of the opening song filled the air. He and Will were having a conversation that was being transmitted over her earpiece and it was distracting her terribly.

And then there was Mortmain himself. His hands were cold and dry and when he put them on her body she had to stop herself from cringing. He executed every step perfectly and kept the dance fairly simple, but even so she had a hard time keeping up. He held her more closely and tightly than the dance required. She did her best to follow his lead, but so far it wasn't going particularly smoothly.

"Relax, Tess. You're doing great. Jem's halfway there by now."

Will broke his conversation with Jem off to coach her, his voice low and soothing and she did relax at the sound of it. Questionable taste in formalwear aside, Will had never let her down. He had taken just as good care of her as Jem had over the last six months. Furthermore, he was always forthright with her and if he said she was doing great, then she would believe him.

"Smile like you mean it, Tessa," he continued. "There you go. The song's nearly over and Jem's not back yet. You might have to dance with him again."

Mortmain spun her again and pulled her back to his front while running his hands down her sides. It was a fairly typical move in the tango, but it made all of her insides crawl. He wasn't touching her like she was a person. He ran his hands over her like a thing that he wanted and it sickened her.

"Just a little longer." Will's voice was still light and comforting. "Just a little longer and then when we have him in custody and I'll break his fingers for touching you like that, okay?"

She didn't doubt that he meant it, even if he'd sounded like he was bribing a small child with candy in exchange for a promise of being good. In any other situation, she might have smiled. She risked glancing over Mortmain's shoulder at the bar and saw Will staring at her intently, and the smile on his face was sharp enough to cut steel.

Thankfully, the song ended soon thereafter. Mortmain released her and bowed and she executed a curtsy that would have made Mme. Morel proud while the other couples on the dance floor applauded. The notes of a much slower song filled the air and Tessa was about to ask Mortmain if he'd dance with her again when she felt a warm hand on her lower back.

"You were marvelous, darling," Jem murmured next to her ear. And then louder, "I'll take it from here, sir."

Mortmain graciously handed Tessa over to Jem and it was all she could do not to collapse into his arms. Even so, she couldn't keep herself from shaking as Jem led her through the steps of a dance she didn't know. Luckily, he was a good enough dancer that it didn't matter.

"Are you alright?" Jem asked, pulling her closer to him than was probably strictly necessary for the dance. "I'm sorry I couldn't get away earlier in the evening. I'm sorry that you had to dance with him."

"Did you find it?" she asked, not answering his question because she didn't want him to realize how unnerved she was. "Was it in the frame like Will suspected?"

"No," he said as he spun her beneath his arm and pulled her close again. "But we'll look for it together. You're with me for the rest of the night, okay?"

For once, there was no argument from Will in her ear, so she nodded and let him lead her around the dance floor. His warmth enveloped her and comforted her enough that she actually started enjoying the dance and was a little disappointed when it ended.

They slipped away a few songs later, hoping that since the thumb drive wasn't in as auction item, as Jem and Will had suspected, it would be in the suit of rooms Mortmain had rented as the staging grounds for the gala. They had nearly reached the set of rooms when two male voices floated towards them from the end of the hall.

Jem reacted quickly and before Tessa even realized what was happening, he'd grabbed her and pressed her against the nearest wall. He kept one hand against the wall and dragged the other down her leg until he reached the back of her knee. As he hitched her knee up towards his hip, he dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her.

His kiss was soft, and in the back of her mind she knew that he meant it only to look like a passionate embrace, that he didn't mean it, just like he hadn't meant the kiss back in the Colorado ski resort. And yet Tessa's body responded before her brain caught up with what she was doing. One hand went up to wrap around his neck, while the other gripped his waist just above the hip he had her leg pressed against. And then she kissed him back.

When she pulled him closer, he froze for the briefest of moments before returning the kiss with increased fervor. He pressed himself even closer to her, so close that she could feel the heat of his body through his layers of formalwear. The hand that had been against the wall wrapped around her back, and his fingers were five points of electricity against her bare skin. She couldn't help the little moan as his tongue swiped across her lower lip, or the way she shuddered against him when she allowed him access to her mouth.

Whoever he'd kissed her in the hopes of avoiding quickly walked past them, paying little attention to the lovers in the otherwise deserted hallway, but he didn't stop kissing her. His fingers explored the expanse of her back and stroked along the leg he had pulled against his side while her fingers tangled in his hair. She could have happily stayed in that hallway kissing him until the end of time and probably would have if Will's voice hadn't sounded in her ear.

"What's going on you two? You should be close to the safe by now."

Jem lifted his mouth from hers, but didn't let go of her waist, keeping their bodies pressed close. "We ran into someone in the hallway. Had to take evasive measures. We're good now."

And then he released her leg and covered the microphone on her bracelet with one hand, leaning in so close that she felt his breath caressing the shell of her ear as he spoke. "When this is over and we're not at a terrorist's dinner party, I am going to spend a whole day taking my time kissing you properly."

And then he kissed her again, hard and quick, before pulling away from her and taking her hand in his and pulling her down the empty hallway.

Notes: This is not a story with any resolution. This is an excuse for me to write Tessa and Jem in a fake relationship and a real makeout. If you were after a story with a resolution, I'm afraid you shall have to live with the disappointment. If that is the most disappointing part of your day, I envy you greatly.