The Blue Dress
Chapter Eighteen: Bleeding Red Heart

He felt stupid.

Utterly and ridiculously stupid. Here he was, a grown man, letting her words echo over him like it was a moment forever stuck in replay.

The office bad boy, certain to get women out of their clothes and into his bed.

At least he offers romance.

Did it ever occur to you that maybe you're the pawn?

He groaned and ran a hand down his face, staring at the plush gray carpet beneath his feet. No, it had not. It did not occur to him after all the times he heard her whisper his name between clenched teeth, the way her body reacted to his touch, the soft gasps and cries and pants as she writhed against him. None of these responses had ever indicated that he might be a pawn, certainly not when she treated him like a king.

His stare shot up and he bit back a sigh. Number 2605. Here he was, ready to meet his fate. With a low sigh, he raised his hand to the door and knocked. He expected to hear music or the television playing, but instead he was met with a loud, gruff bark and a whine. Jason stumbled back a little, his eyes darting from the door handle to the door, wondering what kind of vicious dinosaur she was keeping locked up in an apartment.

"Atticus, down."

Another whine.

Before Jason could run down the hall and as far away from the apartment as possible, the door swung open and Raven stood in the doorway, her hands wrapped around the black collar at the dog's throat. He, of course, used the term "dog" very loosely. His eyes moved between Raven and the giant animal, and he felt all of his words suddenly leave him.

"Mr. Todd?" She looked genuinely confused and surprised at his arrival. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't show up for work today." He glanced down at Atticus again. That dog was going to kill him. He licked his chops and tried to inch forward, bringing Raven with him. Jason just looked back into her face. "I had some things that needed to be delivered to you… for the case."

She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

He sighed. "May I come in? I'd like to talk to you."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Just talk?"

"Just talk." He offered her the most genuine smile he could offer, but it was unlikely she bought it. Not that he really blamed her. After last night, he would be surprised if he trusted his own self. "If you don't mind?"

She sighed in defeat and stepped back, letting go of Atticus's collar. The dog stayed where he was panting slightly and grinning up at Jason as he stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind him.

"Be careful." Raven said as she stepped away from him. "Atticus likes to drool when he gets excited. I'd be wary of your shoes."

As if on cue, the dog inched toward Jason's hand and sniffed before licking up his fingertips with a wide, excited smile. He made a sort of happy whine and nuzzled his thigh before poking his nose into Jason's hand again. Raven watched in stunned silence from the kitchen.

"He likes you." She seemed genuinely surprised by that. "He's afraid of everyone."

Jason chuckled and slowly reached down to scratch Atticus behind the ears. "This dinosaur is afraid of anyone?"

Raven shrugged. "He's a little anxious sometimes. I've never seen him open up so quickly."

Jason patted the dog on the head and he licked his fingers again before going into the living room to lay down. Raven's eyes flicked between them, her face unreadable. Jason opened his mouth to say something, but the words seemed to die on his tongue. He quite suddenly realized he had never really looked at her when at least one of them wasn't fueled by anger and lust. He had seen her eyes flash and her body writhe under him, he had seen her smirk and sneer and try to control the situation, but he had never seen her so calm. So at ease with herself and her surroundings.

She was… beautiful. A little cold and distant, but there was a warmth that drew him to her. He fidgeted with the file folder in his hand and looked away, his eyes darting around the neatly decorated apartment. There were books everywhere, stacked in piles by a chair next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, tucked into bookshelves, even strewn over the granite counter of her kitchen. And yet in spite of all of it, her entire place looked neat, as if everything had a place.

"You wanted to talk to me about the files?"

Raven turned from him and walked into the kitchen, and it was then that Jason noticed she was wearing sweat pants. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he had just always assumed that Raven wore nothing but dresses and skirts, and her prim little heels. He had never really considered the idea that she might actually wear normal, non-work clothes when she was home alone. His eyes drifted over that pleasant, plump curve to her hips and stared at her ass. Jesus, even in sweatpants she could break hearts.

"Y-yeah." He shook his head and brought his eyes back to her own. "I was putting together some reports for the meeting on Monday. I was hoping to have to take a look at them today, but you-"

"Weren't at work," she finished, leaning against the counter. "I'm aware."

Jason paused for a moment and slid the file across the kitchen island to her. "Can I ask why?"

She snorted and looked away, barely acknowledging the file on the counter. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No. No, it's not."

That was a lie, and they both knew it. She was avoiding him, of course she was, and he didn't blame her. He had thrown harsh accusations at her, and she turned around and threw them back at him. They hadn't once yelled, but their words cut deep - purposefully deep, as if to damage beyond repair. They were both claws and growls as they circled each other, trying to understand who was holding the upper hands. And the answer was simple:neither. They were both on equal footing in this game, and that was something they had realized last night.

"I didn't want to see you." Raven ignored the file and walked toward him, tapping her fingers on the granite counter. Her lips were pressed tight into a steely, emotionless expression, as if trying to keep her sanity in check. "I didn't want to look at you and be reminded of what happened in the elevator, on the phone, in the copy room… in your office. So, I took a personal day." Pause. "I'm allowed to do that, you know."

"I know."

"So, why are you asking?"

"I don't know. I don't know what I could say to make this right."

"How about an apology?"

They just stood there and stared at each other for a long moment, each of them waiting for something to happen, but neither of them knowing how to start it. Jason looked away and sighed. He wanted to apologize, to say he was sorry for the things that had happened, but he wasn't. He wouldn't ever be sorry for fantasizing about her, for fingering her whenever he pleased, for stealing kisses and making her feel his desire for her… he couldn't be sorry for that.

"I didn't want it to be like this."

"We weren't anticipating on it being anything really." Her voice had softened and he looked back into her face, seeing a slight smile play across her lips. "We were both bound to get burned, Jason. That's what happens when you play with… what was it again? Handcuffs and chains?"

His lips turned up into a smile, and he found himself drawn to her yet again, moving slowly to close the space between them. "And hellfire."

"Hellfire?" She raised a teasing eyebrow and licked her lips, a habit he was growing rather fond of. "I was unaware of the hellfire. I'll keep that in mind…. it is a rather good term for this thing between us though."

His hands moved to touch her waist, pulling her slowly against him. She didn't fight, didn't argue, didn't say anything. She just stood there expectantly, her eyes lifting up to meet with his. She smelled of cherries and the scent of her shampoo, her cheeks were red, her hair was a mess, and he didn't give a flying fuck. He wanted her, just like this - in her sweatpants and ponytail, the nighttime sky shining through her windows and bathing her in a soft, cool glow.

With a speed that surprised even himself, he drew her against him and kissed her. He half expected her to back down, but she didn't. No, she met him kiss-for-kiss, her teeth nibbling on his lower lip as her fingers clutched desperately to the folds of his shirt. He pushed his tongue into the sanctuary of her mouth, tasting her with revered passion, practically worshiping her. She was already too much for him to handle, and he felt like his entire world was going to go up in the flames of their hellfire.

And he was happy to burn.

One of his hands slid up her narrow rib cage and he cupped a breast, feathering a thumb over her nipple. She gasped and pulled back from his lips, looking into his eyes as he tugged the neckline of her tank top down, just far enough to see the little mark he had made last night. He lifted his thumb and traced the shape, a small smile playing on his lips.

Chewing on her lower lip, a bit of nervousness swimming in her eyes, Raven raised herself to her tip-toes, her mouth slightly parted and-

Ring.

Her hands stilled, and her eyes grew wide.

Ring.

She mumbled something under her breath and stepped away, hunting through her kitchen for her phone. A second later she was flushed in embarrassment, and she answered the call. "G-gar… I wasn't expecting you to call." Pause. "No, I have time… what did you want to talk about?"

Jason's eyes slid closed, and he felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach.

Did it ever occur to you that maybe you're the pawn?

No. No, it hadn't.

He ran his hand through his hair and started for the door, patting Atticus's head as he stepped out of her apartment, closing the door behind him. He tried desperately not to feel sorry for himself, but it didn't matter, the damage was done… and maybe it was better this way.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING SO AWESOME!

If you're enjoying this, BW and I have put up another AU on the authors page called "Traditional" we think it's adorable.