Pepper lay there after Tony had left her, shaking both in anger and arousal. She couldn't believe what he had just done. She knew that he had to be upset and hurt by the fact that she hadn't reciprocated his feelings, but this was a step too far. He couldn't just work her up like he did and then leave like that. The whole concept seemed wrong to Pepper, who sat up and marched inside of the villa, looking for him.
"Anthony Stark!" She yelled and saw him standing in front of the fridge, holding up a grape in his hand. "I swearto God that I will personally murder you if you don't stop with this childish behavior!"
Tony stopped the action in mid-air and stared at her, fear creeping up his spine. His pupils dilated slightly and he simply stood there, breathing and watching this impressive force of nature.
"Either you come to the terms that I need some time to figure my feelings out, or we can end this here, right now."
Her tone held no jokes and Tony could tell that by the way her eyes held him fixed on his spot. An angry Pepper had quite an effect on his libido and Tony crossed his legs, shrugging like a dumb person.
"I… I just-" He started, only to be cut off by Pepper, who plucked a grape from his hand and took a juicy bite out of it.
"You what, Stark?" Pepper inquired, moving dangerously close to him. She raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the counter. Tony swallowed hard at that and looked down at his feet, emotions running wild inside his head. He hated the fact that she was the only person who knew him better than he knew himself. And he hated the fact that she could see through him at any time.
He closed his eyes tightly at the realization of the fact that he'd acted like a monster to her. She didn't deserve this behavior. She deserved the best of things and even though Tony was well aware that he couldn't be enough for her, he wanted to try. Blinking quickly, he placed his hands on her hips and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her left eyebrow.
"Tony…" Pepper murmured and breathed in his scent. She felt his arms wrap themselves around her and when he pulled her against his warm body, Pepper released a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. Massaging his forearms lightly, the redheaded woman looked up at her boyfriend and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm not upset, Tony. And I need your adorable side back."
Tony snorted and pressed his cheek against the crown of her head, holding her close.
"Yeah. I'm trying, Pep." He whispered gently and stroked her hair.
Pepper nuzzled her nose against his shirt and listened to his heartbeat for a few long seconds, basking in the warmth that enveloped her entire being at hearing the constant beating sound of his heart.
"Hey, listen…" She looked up at him, curious at what he was going to propose. "I'm heading out a little. SHIELD business. But I'll be back by dinner time and then we can enjoy the rest of our mini-vacation by having dinner and drinking wine. How does that sound?" He asked tenderly and squeezed her waist, eager for her response.
Pepper studied his eyes for a moment before nodding slowly. "Okay. Alright. Just don't be late, Iron Man."
She smiled sweetly at him, her baby blue eyes shining with happiness. Her expression warmed Tony's heart and he placed a quick kiss to her cheek before leaving. The moment he disappeared from her sight, Pepper brushed her fingertips over her cheek, exhaling a heavy breath. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, trying to erase the feel of his hand between her legs, but failing miserably.
Padding barefooted upstairs, she turned the bathtub faucet on and stripped slowly, enjoying the warm rays of sun that bathed her in a soft light. She spent the next two hours relaxing in the bathtub, almost dozing off a couple of times, but just when she was about to drain the tub, her phone buzzed next to her. She picked it up and saw Rhodey's number flash on the screen.
Even though she knew that he was probably calling just to check up on them, her heart rate picked up slightly.
"You two are really something." She heard his chipper voice at the other end of the line and her tension suddenly evaporated. "Why isn't Tony picking up his phone?"
"He is still in denial." Pepper chuckled and watched as the sun began to set.
"I imagined so. How's Paris?" Rhodey asked, completely oblivious to the fact that Pepper and Tony were no longer in Paris.
"Uhm… it's really something." She laughed and realized how much of a cliché her first time having sex with Tony was. Paris.
"Tony told me he was going to shorten your big annual event. I hope you won't need me to kick his ass for irresponsible behavior."
"No, that won't be necessary. He's behaved pretty nicely so far. He's quite the sap actually."
Rhodey burst out laughing and snorted. "Yeah, I can't wait to ask him more about that."
"Be gentle with him. He's just a baby." Pepper joked and got out of the tub, thanking Rhodey for his considerate call. After all, he was only being attentive.
When Tony returned from his so-called mission, it was already half past eight. Knowing that she must have been starving, he came back with two bags full of food and wine. At the sight of the wine, Pepper smirked to herself, already imagining how their night would play out: a quiet dinner on the terrace in the candlelight, kisses which held promises of a loving future, possible sex if their night wouldn't end in another fight.
Their date night hadn't gone quite like that. While trying to cook their dinner, Tony somehow managed to distract her by stripping off his shirt and their food ended up burnt. Undoubtedly, they had managed to drink two whole bottles of wine before literally collapsing in bed. They fumbled around with their clothes, giggling like two teenagers in love. Pepper couldn't remember the last time she'd been so drunk, but frankly, she didn't care with the way Tony's lips moved alongside her jaw and neck. Nor did she care when he spooned her and bit her ear, hand squeezing her left breast as his hips moved languidly into hers. She moaned and he kissed her neck in return, sliding his hand up to the nape of her neck from where he immobilized her neck in order to be able to hold her gaze as he penetrated her faster and harder, enjoying the sound of skin against skin. When they were both done, Tony released his hold on her neck and pressed his lips against her shoulder, skimming his hand down her bare chest and stomach, enjoying the firm feel of her abdomen against his fingertips.
The last thing she remembered before falling asleep in his strong arms was the sound of his heavy breathing against her sweaty skin.
A/N: Pleased?