"I have to know who I'm working with. Reading a resume doesn't get me what I need." Steve returned his focus to her pale blue eyes.
McGarrett was standing in front of her with his arms crossed and his back ramrod straight. Lori looked at the table, realizing that she couldn't casually walk back to her laptop without brushing past him. Clearly he was trying to intimidate her. She silently cursed herself as she felt her cheeks deepen their blush. Damn. Lori tried to keep her breathing slow and steady but her pulse was racing. She absently started to rub her shoulder and then stopped herself. Usually she was better at this game, better at concealing her feelings, but after everything that had happened over the past two days, she was tired and raw. Steve had a way of making her feel exposed, bare in front of him. Part of her wanted to give up, but part of her couldn't.
"Sometimes we have to take things on faith. Files don't show us who a person is," Lori replied, a slight rise to her voice as a bit of nervousness crept in. She wondered just what was in her NSA file, how much of the details about Miami were there. What did he know?
"I don't take things on faith."
He stood, looking at Lori, enjoying for a moment the looks that crossed her angled face she tried to figure out what exactly he knew, and didn't know, about her past. It had been awhile since Steve had met a woman who had the wherewithal to challenge him, and while he may not have picked Lori to join the team, he was at least going to have a little fun while she was here.
Steve started to turn toward his office door, but Lori moved quickly to her laptop on the table, slightly blocking his path. She straightened up the files next to her computer, ignoring Steve, who was forced to awkwardly walk around the other side of the table. As he came around to turn into his office, she stepped in front of him.
"You should rethink your strategy, Commander. I'm not the enemy here. And I don't appreciate intimidation techniques," Lori said in a clear and even tone that she rarely used outside of the interrogation room.
Her body was just inches away from his, so close she could feel his heat which she tried to ignore. She was not going to let him get to her. She had dealt with his kind before. If she didn't take control now, she'd spend the rest of her time with Five-0 fetching coffee and babysitting worried parents.
Steve's eyes narrowed as he looked down at Lori. He towered over her by several inches, in spite of the high heels she was wearing. She seemed determined to force him to back down. But Steve never backed down, not ever. He certainly was not going to back down for her.