Come over here and gimme a kiss
Rattle Snake Smile ~ Christian Kane
When the team eventually came home, Hardison hooked up the display so they could monitor things. Nate was going through some paperwork that they had found in the accountant's office as well as Thomas' condo. She really didn't care about the details at this point. Unwilling to watch her ex, Katie left the room and took some beer with her onto the front porch. She sat down on the top step and sighed. After a few minutes, she was joined by Parker.
"Sorry about you getting stuck and all," Katie said, swinging her feet back and forth distractedly.
"No worries. I'm always in air vents anyway," Parker replied as she took the beer Katie offered her. "He's a real son of a bitch though. I may have accidentally lifted a few valuables."
Katie laughed at Parker's smirk. "I bet you did."
The two sat for awhile in silence before she finally turned and asked Parker, "So you and Hardison?"
"What?" The blonde lifted her eyebrows. "Oh, that. Not exactly."
"He obviously likes you," Katie said with a small smile and the other woman grinned in a way that let her know that the thief was well aware of her affect on the hacker. "I swear the unresolved sexual tension between you two… and Nate and Sophie.. is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Why doesn't someone just…do it?"
Parker chuckled and drank her beer before she threw a wink in Katie's direction. "Where's the fun in that?"
"Sex, good sex, is plenty of fun. Much better than unresolved sexual tension," Katie argued with a huge grin.
"Yeah, like you and Eliot, huh?" Blushing, Katie looked away. "You two definitely have that look about you."
"What look?" Katie tried to sound casual and look innocent.
"That 'I've seen you naked' look every time you see each other." Parker chuckled when she blushed. "Not that I blame you. Eliot is definitely easy on the eyes."
Katie sighed and leaned back on her hands. She didn't know if she could really talk to Parker about 'girl stuff' but she felt like if she didn't talk to someone she'd explode. Sophie treated her like a little kid still so it's not like she could discuss it with her.
She bit her lip and turned to look at Parker, who was studying her closely. "I don't know what I'm going to do about that frankly."
"Do you love him?" Parker asked bluntly, but with more curiosity in her voice than judgment.
"I love him a lot but I'm afraid that I'm, you know, in love with him. It's just so damn complicated. I know that he and I will never have a normal relationship, but that doesn't bother me as much as the thought of not being with him does," Katie admitted, looking down, a little embarrassed.
"He's not Thomas," Parker reminded her. "He's different. He'd never do to you what that loser did. One thing you can count on with Eliot – he'll be straight up with you about where you stand with him. But a normal relationship? What is that really anyway?"
"I honestly don't know anymore. My last 'normal' relationship was with a guy who turned out to be a murderous, embezzling, arsonist bastard."
"So…maybe 'normal' isn't the way to go," Parker smirked. "Live for the moment and as if each moment will be the last. No regrets. I feel the most alive when I jump off a building, never knowing if I'll ever stop falling. There's nothing like it. The rope could just snap but it's almost…" she had a dreamy look on her face before she smiled in apparent bliss, "…orgasmic – that rush of falling freely."
"So what you're saying is – either fall in love with Eliot or jump off a rooftop?" Smirking, Katie took a sip of beer. "Both choices sound equally dangerous."
"If it's not risky, why do it? Seems pretty boring to me."
"I'm so taking you bull riding," Katie laughed.
"Umm…no. No bulls. I'm not an animal person," Parker shook her head.
"Obviously not, if cats freak you outso much. Mechanical bull then?"
"Now that sounds like a plan." Parker tapped her bottle against Katie's. "We can make a few bets to keep it interesting. And we need to get the boys up there too. Since Nate stopped drinking, he's too uptight and Hardison lives his life through the keyboard." The thief shook her head. "He really needs to get laid."
Katie tilted her head with a smile. Parker rolled her eyes and continued drinking. "He'd drop dead of a heart attack."
"But he'd die a happy man," Katie added with a laugh. When Eliot appeared in the door way, she tried to stifle her laugh which ended up causing her and Parker to laugh even more.
He cocked his head at them before asking, "Do I even want to know?" Walking over, he crouched down to grab a beer from them.
"Probably not," Katie answered when she finally stopped laughing.
"Anything interesting yet?" Parker asked, turning to look at him.
Eliot didn't answer for a few moments before taking a long pull on the beer. Finally he smirked. "It's going to be a lot easier than we realized. Apparently, Thomas made two major mistakes."
"Like?" Katie studied his expression, wondering if she really wanted to know.
"Like keeping his pass codes in his safe. Oh, he tried to disguise them as something else but he's not very bright," he smiled, raising his eyebrows. "Hardison has managed to get all of your money back already plus some more he had squirreled away. We cleaned him out."
"Seriously?" Katie stared at him in shock. "Then with Brent around to verify that I have an alibi, we can prove I didn't commit arson and be done with this?"
Eliot shook his head. "You're forgetting about the mob contract on you. That was Thomas' second mistake. Rather than paying off the mob, he's tried to keep your money for himself. Convinced them that your death was the only way he could get his hands on the five million. Apparently the mob owns fifty-one percent of his father's company. They took out a loan of a couple of million a few years ago and it's way overdue."
Katie shook her head in disgust. She couldn't believe Thomas was such slime and she didn't get it.
"Besides, your ex is going to pay for what happened to John and what he's put you through. You didn't honestly think we'd let him get away with that did you?" Eliot asked, anger flickering in his eyes.
"If it weren't for the mob hit, I'd say let the law or the mob deal with him. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me," she answered. "Remember, you're the one that said revenge was a bad idea."
"This isn't revenge, Katie. It's justice. Before this is over, he'll be praying to be arrested for arson. I'm going to make him regret the day he fucked with your family." Eliot stood up and stormed into the house.
Katie glanced over at Parker, worried. She wished she could just stop this. The sad thing is that she didn't know if it was worth it anymore.
"I want to end this now," she said in a shaky voice. "Can't we just turn over the evidence we already have to the police? Once the mob knows he screwed them over, they'll go after him not me, right?"
"Maybe. But Eliot is right, we need to resolve this."
"Parker…he could get killed, or one of you guys. It's just too dangerous. This man murdered my brother, he's been trying to con me for five years, and he probably set the house on fire. He'll kill Eliot or anyone else…" Katie argued. "No, I'm going to talk to Nate. I appreciate what you guys have done but I'm not going to risk anyone's life to get back the damn ranch."
When she started to get up, Parker grabbed her arm. She shook her head and said, "You're forgetting that because Thomas killed your brother, it's already personal for Eliot. You better not interfere or try to stop this. It's not about the ranch. He killed John. He tried to kill you. He needs to pay for that."
"But…"
"If you go to Nate, you're going to have an explosion on your hands with Eliot, of epic proportions. And doubting him? Not a good idea."
Frustrated anger filled Katie and she pulled away from Parker, storming in the house. She didn't stop in the living room but rather went to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She didn't give a shit about their plans now. Feeling sick she went into the bathroom and threw cold water on her face, trying to calm down.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Eliot growled from the doorway. "Do you want me to just let Thomas get away with murder?"
Katie put her hands on the sink, leaning against it, and stared into the water. She didn't know what she wanted. Part of her wanted to personally rip Thomas apart but the other part wanted to just leave town, leave the country, anything to get away from this mess. Tears burned her eyes. She couldn't face Eliot.
"Dammit Katie!" he yelled at her. "Was this about the money? Only the money?"
"No! You know I don't care about the money!" she yelled back at him. "I don't know what I want, except you!"
Eliot stared at her for a few moments in stunned silence before she saw the anger start to fade. Tears rolled down her face and she turned away. "I know…that's not what you wanted to hear and this probably isn't the best time or way to tell you but, there it is. I don't care about the ranch or getting even. The thought that you could get hurt or even killed makes me…terrified, sick…I can't even think about it."
He ran his hands through his hair and said nothing for a few minutes. The silence stretched out to an unbearable level that made her heart ache. She was such a fool.
"You said you trusted me," his voice was calmer and she glanced up in surprise.
"I do."
Coming into the bathroom to stand beside her, he wrapped his hand around her neck, running his thumb down along her jaw as he looked deep into her eyes. "I promised you I wouldn't get myself killed. You have to trust me. But don't ask me to walk away from this without making him pay."
After a moment, Katie sighed and nodded. He continued to watch her silently. Then he swallowed hard, his eyes confused. Leaning over he gently kissed the tears off her cheeks, before capturing her mouth with his own, bringing her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her body against him.
"Why'd you have to go and complicate things further?" he whispered against her lips before kissing her again, plunging his tongue into her mouth.
Her hands moved under his shirt, needing to feel his hot skin. He was like a drug to her now. Her pulse raced and she felt like if he let go of her, she'd collapse on the floor. His hands caressed her back as he drank deeply of her, his lips leaving scorching trails from her mouth down her throat.
"Katie…" he whispered, trying to catch his breath. "I…" He paused and he looked like he was in pain. She almost pulled away, thinking he was rejecting her but he held her tightly. "I can't promise you anything."
Confused, she nodded before saying, "Okay?"
A smile tugged at his lips and he shook his head. She continued to watch him, waiting for him to explain. Finally he smiled then rested his head against her.
Katie didn't know whether to be pissed or sad. She didn't expect him to profess undying love for her but…seriously? 'I can't promise you anything.' What the fuck does that even mean?
"I should have known you were going to flip my life on its ass when you came strolling back into it," he whispered, kissing her neck.
Now she was completely confused. Finally she pulled back and looked at him. "Are you saying you feel the same way or not? Because right now, you're just confusing me."
"You didn't tell me how you felt. You just said you wanted me…which could mean a lot of things," he grinned playfully and she wanted to smack him. Really hard.
"God, you make me crazy!" she exclaimed trying to squirm away from him but he laughed as held her tighter.
"Just tell me," he insisted. When she glared at him, he whispered, "Say it."
"I did," she sighed, turning away. He was playing games now and she was getting pissed.
"Say the words, Katie." His hand came to rest on her cheek and his lips teased hers again.
"Say…what..." she whispered in between kisses. When he stopped, he gave her a look that she wasn't sure if he was annoyed or amused. She grinned slightly. "Oh, you want me to just come out and tell you I love you?"
"You brought it up." He reminded her, in a nonchalant voice.
"Fine! I love you, you stubborn asshole." She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him aggressively. Their tongues dueled for dominance before she allowed him to win, moaning into his mouth as she sucked on his tongue.
"Say it again," he whispered, kissing her so tenderly her heart tightened.
Katie looked at him for a long time before she said, "I love you." Tears rushed to her eyes again but for once, they were happy tears and she smiled.
Eliot took a deep shaky breath, staring into her eyes. For the first time in…well, ever…she saw a flicker of fear in his eyes. He kissed her lightly again then just held her, his arms tightening around her.
"God," he whispered and shook his head. "You have the worst timing in the world."
"What?"
"I'm not supposed to fall in love with a client."
"You're fired then," Katie smiled before kissing him again. He kissed her for a long time before walking them back into the bedroom, where they fell into the bed. When he finally stopped kissing her, she was completely breathless.
"Are you saying that you…" she raised her eyebrow at him. He still hadn't said the words exactly. Just said he wasn't supposed to fall in love.
"I'm saying," he moved on top of her, his hands holding her face gently. "You deserve more than I can give you."
oOooOo
Eliot needed to make love to her right now. He didn't care about the team or anything else but feeling her skin against his. Jumping up suddenly, he locked the bedroom door. He began undressing quickly, then tugged at her clothing without his normal finesse.
Katie didn't say a word, just allowed him to peel her clothes away and tossing them aside. When he moved quickly between her legs, she wrapped her arms around him, moaning when their heated skin connected.
"Make love to me," she whispered, her eyes showing how much she needed him as well.
He entered her, slowly easing all the way in, her body welcoming him as his mouth devoured hers. His hand lowered to her thigh, pulling one around his waist and tilting her pelvis up to him so he could thrust even deeper into her. He made love to her unhurriedly. His eyes never left hers.
"God," he whispered, his breath catching in his throat. "You're so beautiful."
Biting her lip, Katie moved against him sensually, causing him to moan under his breath. "So are you," she answered.
Katie cried out when he thrust into her harder, almost completely withdrawing before burying himself in her again. She clung to him, fingers digging into his back as he sucked hard on her neck. He felt out of control with his desire to completely possess her. He wanted more. He needed all of her.
He needed her.
The thought crashed into him and he stopped suddenly, looking at her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she watched him, concern creeping into her gaze. Then, as if she read his mind, she whispered again, "I love you."
Eliot tried to catch his breath but his heart raced. This was going to kill him. He had to look away for a moment, feeling she could sense everything he was feeling. Bringing her hands to his face, she kissed him gently, lovingly.
"Stop being afraid," she said gently and his gaze flew to hers.
"You know how I feel," he whispered, closing his eyes. She remained silent and he groaned under his breath. "This is so complicated."
Her fingers trailed through his hair. "No it's not. Either you love me or you don't."
Eliot took another deep breath. This hurt. He thought he could force the pain away but the more he tried to smother it, the more it ripped him apart.
"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered. When he opened his eyes, she was looking at him in wounded surprise. He realized he'd said the wrong thing. "No, I don't mean I don't…I mean…dammit."
After a few moments, her sadness disappeared, gradually replaced by amused understanding. "You can't say it," she teased.
"I can say it," he glared at her. "Give me a minute."
"Okay, but can you continue what you were doing?" she bit back a smile, her body moving against his.
"Dammit, Katie, stop making fun of me."
"Honey, listen to me," she whispered, a light smile on her face. "If you're not ready to say it, I can wait. For now, just make love to me."
Eliot kissed her hard as he thrust into her a few times. Before long, she was moaning and digging her nails into his back. He stroked into her faster and just before she came, he cradled her face with one hand and said, "I love you, Katie."
She responded with the most passionate kiss he'd ever known. He knew now what she felt by feeling alive. Every nerve ending in his body awakened, it completely unraveled any control he had at that point. She wrapped her other leg around his waist and pulled him tight into her, arching up to him. He never stopped moving as he exploded deep inside her.
He propped himself up so he didn't crush her, still continuing to kiss her, his fingers trailing along her skin. Katie pulled him back down to lay on her and after a moment, he rolled them over so she was on top. He wrapped his arms tightly around her so that almost every inch of his skin was touching hers. Looking up at her, he was awed that this woman had gotten under his skin so much, so fast.
Both of them were covered in sweat but her lips were swollen from their kissing and her cheeks were flushed. Suddenly she laughed and he tilted his head to the side.
"Do you think they heard us this time?" she finally said.
"Somehow, I don't care." He kissed her then smiled at the happiness in her eyes.
"Say it again," she whispered.
He ran his finger down her cheek, reveling in her sweetness. "I love you."
Katie shifted her hips causing his cock to remain hard inside of her. He was a little bit surprised; normally he needed a few minutes at least!
"Again," she urged.
"I love…"
"No!" she started laughing and kissed him. "I love you too but I meant again, as in make love to me again."
"Planning on it," he smiled before catching her lip between his teeth.
This time was playful and loving but just as passionate. Afterwards they lay intertwined in each other's arms trying to recover.
"Nate. Dammit," he groaned.
"Did you just call me Nate?" She barely opened her eyes before closing them again.
Eliot slapped her on the butt, the smack echoing through the room. As soon as he caught the look in her face, he flew off the bed, laughing at the red hand print he'd left behind. He rushed into the bathroom and grabbed two warm wet wash cloths, wiping himself and handing her the other one.
"Come on. Nate sent me in here to get you after he called your lawyer, so he could talk to you." He began dressing then looked at her, amused. "I think they might figure out what we've been doing." Her hair was wild and like his, dampened with sweat. Her lips even more swollen, and both of their skin was glistening with sweat, plus she had a huge hickey on her neck.
"Do you think we can make up something?" After cleaning herself up, Katie attempted to get dressed but had to take her shirt back off when she realized she had put it on inside out. When she bent over to find her panties and jeans, he moaned, grabbing her ass and causing her to yelp.
"Not if you do that again. We're not going to make it out there." He climbed across the bed and grabbed her jeans off the floor.
When she was dressed he attempted to make her look a little less like she just had been thoroughly screwed. She smiled at him and said, "I know you said you can't make me any promises. But when this is over, I want seven days in a hotel room, with room service, and you."
"Paris or Venice?"
"It doesn't matter since I'm not letting you leave the room." Before he could open the door, she kissed him one last time. "By the way, I think we probably smell like sex."