A/N: Some of you may have noticed that I have changed the rating of this story to M, this is to reflect the violence and the suggestive themes as they are not really appropriate for younger readers. This chapter also contains my first attempt at a sex scene, this is perhaps the closest I will ever get to writing smutfic...
He rubbed a weary hand over his face as he exited the plane that had brought him from Miami to the city of Pensacola. Although the flight had been a short one he still felt bone-achingly tired due to a number of sleepless nights previously.
Just as he was beginning to feel comfortable in Miami the wily FBI agent Richard Collins had once more shown his face, demanding that he do one last job for him.
"No, forget it," he said firmly as he folded his arms over his chest in a symbol of defiance.
"You seem to be under the assumption that you have a choice in this matter, Mr Caine." The insinuating tone in his voice was not lost on the redhead when he called him by his assumed identity.
"I did what you asked in New York. We had a deal," he growled, wanting nothing more than to rip the other man's head off.
Collins smoothed his tie out as he sat in the driver's seat of his FBI-issued black sedan, his reluctant companion in the passenger seat. "I can make things very difficult for you; right now I am the only thing standing between you and the Malucci's. I'm sure they'll be very keen to find out who it was that betrayed them and where that certain someone might be."
His head shot towards Collins, "You wouldn't do that. They think I'm dead!"
The FBI agent picked at lint on his trousers absent-mindedly, "I can easily persuade them otherwise." He let the threat hang in the air.
"I'm supposed to be transferring to the bomb squad on Monday." It was a lame attempt at an excuse and he knew it.
"Your transfer is being delayed but as far as anyone at the police department is concerned you'll be reporting for duty."
His eyes narrowed at the other man, "And tell me, where will I be going?"
He felt the file being dropped on his lap and looked down at it. "Pensacola, I have a little operation that I could use your skills on," Collins replied.
"And how long will this take?" he asked, resigned to the fact that he was unlikely to get out of it taking part in another undercover operation.
"That depends on how effective you are."
He ignored the other man's deliberate attempt to rile him. "What do I have to do?"
"There's a drug smuggling ring in Pensacola, the local drug barons seem to think that the city is less likely to be monitored by the FBI than its more famous counterpart, Miami."
"Isn't this a case for the DEA?"
"It's a joint taskforce; the FBI is taking the lead on this one. I recommended you to the committee; they're keen to have you on board."
He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "What part are you expecting me to play?"
"We want you to infiltrate the drug smuggling ring and give us as much intel as you can on the people behind it. Once you've given us what we want you'll be free to return to Miami for your tour of duty with the Bomb Squad."
"I suppose that was your doing as well?"
Collins gave him a smug smile, "I have no idea what you mean. You should go and pack, your flight leaves at 10pm tonight."
And so here he was, waiting for his luggage to come round on the carousel, cursing the day he ever met Richard Collins.
He found himself sitting in a seedy bar, nursing his pounding headache with a double measure of scotch. Gone were the expensive tailored Italian suits that he had gotten so used to wearing, in their place were worn jeans, t-shirts and a faded leather jacket. He laughed inwardly as he told himself that after everything he had done back in New York that it had come to nothing. Collins had promised him that after the Malucci's had been brought down that he would be free to start his life again someplace else. Once again, he'd been foolish enough to listen to the man and once again he'd been lied to.
"Who am I kidding?" he said to himself as he took another swig of the strong-tasting alcohol. "Did you really think that you could outrun your past? He's got you right where he wants you and he's never going to let you go."
He felt sad that the months of effort he had put in to start a new life in Miami had come to nothing, he was once again imbibing in alcohol, something he had sworn off when he left New York. Finding himself once again undercover had raised too many painful memories, the feelings of betrayal surfaced once more and after a number of sleepless nights he found himself slipping back into old ways, using alcohol as a way to numb himself.
He told himself that it would help to make his undercover identity all the more authentic but in reality he knew that he was only fooling himself, it was easy to see how the demon drink had so easily consumed his former partner and friend, Andy. Pain lanced through his heart at the thought of the older man, a man he considered a father figure to him. Downing the contents of the glass he signalled to the barman for a refill, he would numb the pain one way or another tonight.
"Why is a good-looking man like you sitting in a bar drinking all alone?"
Turning in the direction of the sultry and distinctly feminine voice his face registered surprise as he saw a stunningly beautiful blonde woman dressed in a tight red dress standing next to him. He couldn't help himself; he eyed her figure appreciatively, admiring how her body had seductive curves in all the right places.
"Are you going to stare at me all night or are you going to buy me a drink?" she purred as she positioned herself on the stool next to him.
Clearing his throat, he tried to regain some sense of composure, finding her breath-taking appearance more than a little distracting. "What are you drinking?" he asked.
"Whatever you're drinking," she replied as she gave him a wolfish smile. She licked her finger and ran it slowly around the rim of her glass, eyeing him discretely, He couldn't help but find the movement highly erotic.
"Do you have a name, handsome?" she whispered in his ear as he felt her hot breath tickle his face.
"John," he replied, trying to keep his senses about him. The woman sitting next to him was beguiling, something about her drew him in like a moth to a flame, he found himself undeniably attracted to her. "How about you?" he asked as he tried to keep his voice level, feeling a stirring in his loins already.
"Julia." He had never before heard a name sound so enticing, had he not been in a public place he might have been inclined to take her there and then.
The logical half of his brain warned him to stop, to take a moment to stand back and think about what he was doing. The other half urged him on, to give into his carnal desires, he'd been alone so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to hold a woman in his arms, he'd forgotten how good it felt to be intimate with someone.
He'd been undercover for nearly two years in New York and most of that time he had spent alone with nothing more than his memories and crushing feelings of guilt for company. Even after arriving in Miami he had been so afraid to let anyone get close to him for fear of them finding out his true identity. Rather than being forced to lie, it was easier to keep those around him at arms-length, life had taught him that having emotional attachments only led to heartache and suffering. The price he had paid in New York had been too high and he resolved to never make the same mistake again.
The logical side of his brain was fighting a losing battle, the amount of alcohol he had already consumed that night had all but silenced the snippy voice that was shouting at him to get out of the bar before it was too late. As the voice became quieter he felt his longing to attain some physical gratification growing stronger until he could no longer ignore it. As the drinks flowed he found himself becoming increasingly enchanted by the mercurial woman sitting next to him, matching him drink for drink. He knew he was losing control and yet he couldn't seem to find enough reason to care.
"How about we have a nightcap at my place?" his beautiful temptress suggested as she leaned over him.
"That is the best idea I have heard all night," he replied as he grabbed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Lead the way, Julia."
They had barely made it through the door of her apartment, kicking the door shut with the heel of his shoe he grabbed her and kissed her passionately as he pushed her back against the wall. He heard the breath leave her body as she opened her mouth; he didn't need any further invitation as his tongue began duelling with hers.
He felt her run tapered fingers across the back of his neck and into his hair and groaned at the feelings of pleasure her movements created. He kissed her hungrily as she began pulling at his t-shirt, trying to divest him of it without breaking contact. He broke away from her with a grunt as he helped her pull the grey t-shirt from his body before assaulting her with another passionate kiss.
He hissed as she ran her long fingernails over the sensitised flesh on his chest, her hands catching in the light covering of hair. With a deft move borne of experience, he reached for her back and made short work of the dress she was wearing, letting it fall to the floor and pool around her feet.
He felt himself harden even further as he saw he standing in front of him in nothing but red silk underwear, he heard her gasp of shock as he grabbed her legs and folded them around his waist, carrying her to the bedroom. In one quick movement he had her pinned to the bed with his body, tearing at her underwear like a man possessed whilst she grabbed wildly at the belt on his jeans, undoing it swiftly and then going to work on his button fly.
Within moments both of them were naked, a blue touch paper had been lit between them, neither able to stop themselves from being consumed by the flames of their passion. Their need for one another carried them through the night and into the early hours of the morning, just as he thought she was sated she would roll back on top of him and demand more, a demand that he was more than willing to meet.
He fell into a passionate love affair with the mysterious and beguiling Julia, forgiving her of her peculiar and changeable moods, tolerating her erratic actions. He couldn't help but be drawn to her and since that first night they had met, he had known that she had gotten under his skin. Rational thought went out the window whenever he saw her, all it took was one look from her and he could feel himself overcome with a need to be with her. Like a junkie craving a fix, he felt unable to function without seeing her or touching her, the hours they spent apart almost more than he could bear at times.
The undercover operation became secondary to his relationship with her, he found himself struggling to focus on his task, his thoughts always returning to the insatiable blonde woman who had bewitched him so thoroughly. When things became too difficult he made himself think of her, lying naked next to him in her bed, both panting for breath after another intense bout of lovemaking.
Had he known that it would be the last night he would spend with her he would have never let her go.
Knocking on her door at a little past 8 pm with a bottle of red wine in his hands he waited impatiently for Julia to open the door. After what seemed like an eternity the heavy door opened, revealing the blonde woman standing in nothing but a silk dressing gown with one side slipping from her shoulder.
"What took you so long?" he growled as he stepped over the threshold, taking her in his arms.
She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "You talk too much," she replied as she inched closer to his face, "Shut up and kiss me." He obliged her and did as she asked and much more after that.
He woke the next morning to find her gone, rubbing a weary hand over his face he opened his eyes fully and realised that she was no longer lying next to him. Exhausted and more than a little stiff from the hectic night before, he groaned slightly as he lifted himself from the bed and went in search of his boxers that had been ripped from his body last evening.
After making his way through and searching every room in her apartment he came to the conclusion that she had left but assumed that she would return shortly. An assumption that turned out to be untrue.
And so, as he stood outside her apartment for the fifth night in a row he resigned himself to the fact that she had gone, his countless searches for her proved fruitless. As the days passed his involvement in the undercover operation increased until he no longer had the time to spend searching for her, with a heavy heart he gave up all hope of ever seeing her again.
The loneliness enveloped him like a cold and dark cloud, seeping into his bones and making him shiver. As his shaking increased he wondered if this was how life was meant to be for him, cold and alone.
The cold seeped further into his bones, chilling him and weakening the little resolve he had left. He was sure he could feel something raining down on him, something cold and wet. He felt a hand slap him sharply across the cheek; he groaned in response and attempted to open his eyes.
"So nice to have you back with us, Mr Kelly," the voice of Danny Malucci hovered somewhere above him.
He shook his head lightly as he felt the water dripping from his nose and chin, as he glanced down at the ground he caught sight of the empty water bottle lying on the floor.
"Sorry about that," Danny responded as his eyes followed those of his prisoner's, "You passed out on us; it was the only way we could get you to come round."
His captor placed the photo back in his eye-line once more, "Right, let's try again shall we. If you want to keep your son safe you'll tell me where I can find Agent Collins."
His eyes widened in shock at the other man's words, surely he would've remembered that he had a son? Danny was lying, he had to be, there was simply no other explanation, his captor was trying to trick him with something that wasn't real.
"I don't have a son," he told his captor defiantly.
"Well I'm sure Kyle would beg to differ, how about we call him and find out?"