{ Chapter 8 - Teach Me and Loathe Me }
Around half an hour later, Michael and Tristen where both getting out of their supercars who were positively glowering at each other. KARR was more on the simmering side and when Tristen stepped out of his cabin, she could feel the heat radiating from him, it didn't help that he was also in attack mode so his aggression levels were automatically raised. Tristen slapped him on the hood causing him to make a snorting sound of surprise. If he was anything other than a car, he would have been shaking his head right now, but it still stung. The slap worked though, he cooled down and changed back into his normal mode, golden scanner banner tracking slightly faster than KITTs' to show he was still aggressive though. If he was a stallion, he would be making a great show of prancing and foaming at the mouth and basically showing what a worked up male he could be. Tristen rolled her eyes at him.
"Be nice." she growled at him. KARR growled right back and Tristen turned away from him and took Mikes proffered arm and left the two AI's next to each other in the huge cark park.
Tristen was puzzled by Michaels' appearance. How did they know where to find them and why did they want to find them? The first answer was obvious. KITT. The second was not so obvious but she didn't say anything until Michael had led her into the restaurant and they were sitting opposite each other. They browsed the menus for a while until a waiter walked past them with a plate full of spaghetti Bolognese with meatballs and some delicious looking tomato sauce of some sort. It smelled even better and Tristen couldn't help but follow the path of the waiter with her eyes and lick her lips before turning her head to look at the swinging doors and the source of biggest aroma, and her tongue wiped around her lips again and she swallowed and looking wistfully towards the door before returning to her menu. The restaurant was a prestigious Italian restaurant and Michael had taken her here with the hope of gaining her trust and maybe an alliance with her and her mean tempered car.
Tristen couldn't get the spaghetti and meatballs out of her head so she ordered a plate of it with extra meatballs but then Michael interrupted her and said to order a plate to share of that dish and extra meatballs. Tristen giggled as a cliché scene played in her head and looked at Michael who gazed back at her, his eyes gentle but there was a hidden fire in his depths and she averted her eyes as a hot feeling pooled in her belly. She couldn't be falling for him so soon. She looked back at him and smiled, he returned the smile and spoke.
"I'm just expecting to hear car alarms go off and a massive crash and see either KITT or KARR come crashing through here, or both, demanding for us to get in and get the hell outta here." he said jokingly. His voice was rich and smooth but had the boyish charm in there as well as a tone that said he knew what he was done and he was no amateur and he'd had his fair share of dances with death. Tristen laughed softly at this.
"I would chew KARR out and re-arrange his circuitry in ways he couldn't even comprehend if he dared to anything to KITT at this point in time." she replied coolly with a glint in her eye. Unknown to her, KARR, who was listing into their conversation froze in fear, sank down on his suspension and made a sound that could almost be passed as a whimper.
Michael joined in with her laughter and for a while they chatted about KITT and KARR and made jokes. Tristen felt herself warming to the man in front of her. She grazed her eyes over him, just to see what he looked like up close. He was wearing a tight black muscle top and his pecs and stomach muscles could be seen quite clearly though it and dark blue denim jeans with a black leather belt. Michael sported a clean shaven face, but when the light touched him just right, the shadow of where his beard would be showed clearly and too Tristen, it was a dashing sigh. He looked handsome and rugged and downright dangerous, just like Tristen preferred them. A thin chain outlined his powerful neck and made him look almost graceful.
Michael had caught her staring at him whilst he was craning his head around to look around the restaurant and now he lowered his head and looked her straight in the eyes, his chin almost touching the table and he had a cool smirk on his face.
"You like what you see?" he intoned in a deep voice. Tristen was startled out of her observation and turned her head to the side to avoid his beautiful and intoxicating gaze and went red but turned back as a waiter came back with a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs with the sauce almost dripping off the edge. Tristen thanked him herself and picked up a fork and started eating. It wasn't in the way she normally did, in a relaxed yet ravenous manner but it was very feminine and relaxed at the same time. Michael also watched his manners on that day and for a few moments, they ate together, well aware that their cars were watching them through the CCTV camera but made no effort to change their behaviour. Tristen chewed her mouthful slowly and then swallowed before asking Michael the question that had to be asked.
"So then Michael. What is it that you really want?" her tone was no harder and no softer but her eyes showed curiosity.
Michael finished the meatball he was eating and answered her immediately.
"An alliance. We are both here tracking down the same person and if we work together, we can get this whole thing over and done with quicker." he said in a reasonable tone looking up at her as he dipped his head for another mouthful. Tristen watched him and then nodded. Twirling her fork in sauce laden pasta before devouring it.
"Sounds reasonable and whether KARR likes it or not, he'll have to comply since the money that is taken from us means his updates will be later than usual or none existent and he hates going without." she said thoughtfully.
Michael choked on his mouthful whilst laughing, swallowed it but continued to laugh. It was suppressed so it came out very husky and strained but he was almost crying with laughter.
"You mean like that exhaust pipe on him?! Talk about plastic surgery!" he laughed. Tristen smirked at him, knowing exactly what he meant and the male humour that was behind the jibe. Her voice was low and dangerous but with a playful tone and her eyes glittered in the artificial light of the building.
"MMmmm. Having a competition from a supercar, Mike. Does that turn you on?" she purred to him.
Michaels' eyes snapped to hers and his expression became filthy and his voice even worse.
"Oh you have no idea. But then again, I could beat KARR at that any day."
"More like you could fill him any day."
"Oh no, only KITT gets that sort of treatment." he growled at her, swiping his tongue around his lips and using his fork to play with a meatball.
Out in the car-park, the two AI's sat in shocked silence at the conversation before KARR burst out laughing.
"You get shafted by your own driver? KITTen! Are you everyone's bitch?!"
KITT made a sound of disgusted surprise knowing how lust-based KARR was.
Back in the restaurant, there was barely anything left on the plate and both drivers had only been there less than an hour. Michael nudged the last meatball toward Tristen with his fork and smiled softly at her, before swiping his tongue around his jaws, cleaning himself in a manner. Tristen took the meatball and ate it quickly yet still in a feminine way and nodded a "thank you" to Mike before sitting back and waiting for the bill, her hair cascading over her shoulders. The waitress came up to get the money and Michael paid with his credit card and watched the waitress with a near dangerous expression and then got up smoothly as she gave them the recite and left.
Tristen got up as well, pushing her chain back smoothly and got to her feet, gliding over to Mike's side as they strolled out of the restaurant.
The cold air hit both of them quite hard and Michael shivered. His shoulder muscles rippled under his thin shirt and Tristen could help but looked toward his bum as he walked. He walked with style of sorts, his hips swayed a little and sometimes his thigh muscles could be seen through his jeans, but his bum looked...nice.
Michael himself was giving Tristen a look over. Her hair was long, shoulder length and silky by the looks of it and her eyes where a sort of dark amber and rimmed with blue. An odd combination but a beautiful one none the less. Her skin was a deep tan crossed with light brown and her lips, which had lip gloss on, where a darker shade of her skin and looked so...kissable. He bit his lip and forced himself to look straight ahead. Might as well make a conversation whilst they were here.
"So, since you like to idea of an alliance, when do you want to contact me next, or when shall I contact you next?" he asked steadily, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes met his for a second before she also looked straight ahead and shrugged. She was wearing a tight enough white shirt which moved smoothly as her shoulders rose and fell.
"I'll contact you as soon as I have any information on Curtis or his whereabouts. Do the same for me, or, if you just want to talk," she paused and glanced at him. "I'm always here." she added softly. Michaels' lip flicked upwards in a grin before he started taking the car park stairs two at a time. Tristen kept pace with him easily and in no time, they where on the 6 floor of the car park. It was the default floor and neither of their cars had wanted to go any further.
As soon as their cars were in sight, both sped up and Michael noticed the extra swagger in Tristens' hips as she approached KARR. The rumble that came from KARR sent shivers through him and he watched as Tristen leant on KARRs hood and stroked his sensor ridge. The other mustangs' engine growled lowly underneath her.
"Chew me out and arrange my circuitry in a way I couldn't even imagine, eh? I'd love to see you try." he challenged her.
A snort from KITT broke the moment.
"That's not what you were like when it was said, KARR. You almost melted into the ground in fear."
KARR went too snarled at him but thought better of it as Michael Knight walked closer to them and stood in front of Tristen, his arms folded and legs slightly apart. Tristen smirked up at him before putting a hand on his chest, feeling the contours of muscle ripple even as he breathed and his heartbeat, strong and steady was something that blew her mind. Here was a man whose presence awed and frankly...aroused her. No-one had ever done this to her. She swallowed and looked into his eyes.
"Thank you for the dinner, Michael. It was appreciated." she said softly. Michael shifted and put his head to the side a little and his eyes showed a hidden emotion that was becoming more and more revealed.
"No worries, but you still didn't answer my question." he leant forward slowly and grasped her chin gently and tilted his head a little more, his voice lowered to a husky whisper.
"Do you like what you see?"
Tristen crushed her lips to his in way of an answer and she was pushed back onto KARR's hood, both legs wrapped around Michaels' waist and one of his legs up on KARR's hood, his hand dragging up Tristens' thigh and the other steadying himself. Tristen had one hand buried in his head on the back of his neck and the other around his neck, digging into his back.
They broke apart when air was needed by both of them.
"Oh yes." breathed Tristen.
Michael laughed breathlessly before getting off her and walking to KITTs' driver side.
"I'll see you around, Tristen. Take care." he said before getting in.
"And you, Michael." she replied before swinging herself up and smoothly sliding into KARR. Tristen allowed Michael to go first and then went after him. At the car park exit, Michael went left and she went right.
KARR was in a shocked silence.
A.N :: A little bit OOC there with KARR and KITT but I'm allowed am I not?
