Author's Note: It's hard writing anything at the moment. I flip-flop between being inspired and seeing it all in my head to complete and utter blockage when I sit before the laptop and try typing it all out. I honestly just hope this update makes sense. My hands kinda hurt from typing it. Whoops!

Until next time, whenever that may be!

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Chapter 3: Into the Lion's Den

There was an unusual chill in the air. Not even the ducted air conditioning that kept the premises at a comfortable temperature could pry the coldness from the atmosphere. Seated on a leather couch that probably cost more than Lucas could make in a month, the young writer sat rigid and breathless as thick fingers entwined together atop his bouncing lap.

Words permeated his brain in condescension.

"Brooke, pleasure to see you again…" No. Too needy. She'd think he had some sort of emotional issue that only a therapist could handle. "Hello, remember me. I crashed your room while you were crying into your champagne flute?" No, she'd think him insensitive and he was far from that. "Hello again, Miss Davis. I've come baring gifts of the billing kind…" No, no and NO! What a dickhead thing to say.

May as well just hand her your balls and be done with it!

Lucas scowled at himself and leaned back into the comfortable recliner, eyes wandering as bodies moved by him in an orderly and determined fashion. He could see that Brooke had obviously done well for herself. The office space was impressive to say the least. Creamy walls were adorned with an obscene amount of paintings. Originals, no doubt. Some of which Lucas actually recognized. The bench tops were marble, the flooring a shining tile that was probably imported from Italy. You could see perfectly carved reflections dancing by as the office team floated effortlessly throughout the large space. Everyone had a job to do and everyone was dressed impeccably to do it. It made him question whether his choice of polo shirt and khakis was such a good idea.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd even cared what someone else thought about his clothing?

His eyes continued to peruse the office space around him, each glance causing his anxiety levels to peak once more. The placed simply oozed sophistication. Every door was see-through glass, minus the large frosted number that sat to his left.

Was she behind there? Was she rolling her eyes at his presence? Did she even remember him?

"Coffee?"

A sharp voice broke through his wandering thoughts and Lucas looked up to find a pair of familiar yet snarly pair of eyes on him. She stood about a foot away yet she felt so close Lucas was sure she would reach out and slap him at any moment.

Haley.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"I thought all you Hemmingway-folk drank that stuff by the gallon?"

Hemmingway-folk? Was she trying to be condescending or merely presumptuous? How did she know he was into writing? And what was with the acidic tone that dripped off her every syllable? Lucas scanned his mind back to the one and only time they had met. Derek had been the douche, not him. In fact, he had been a downright gentleman as always. He could hear his friend's booming laughter inside his head now, Derek sure to have told him the same line he had been spurting in the years they had known each other.

"It's a dog-eat-dog kinda world, man. Nice guys finish last so do yourself a favor and be a dick!"

"How did you know I was a writer?"

That caught her. Flinching slightly, the personal assistant remained silent for a moment before her cool demeanor returned and she was once again in control. It then became blatantly obvious to Lucas that Haley was perhaps in charge of being cool-under-fire in all matters that concerned Miss Davis.

"I make it my business to know about all of Miss Davis' acquaintances. Security reasons."

Seemed plausible enough yet after his annoying morning with Derek pushing every single one of his exposed buttons, something inside Lucas felt the need to push the issue. "Wouldn't her bodyguards be in charge of that?"

Again she stopped at his perceptive observations, only this time instead of remaining cool under pressure, Haley became surrounded by what Derek so lovingly referred to as the female pissed-mist.

"Dude, get the fuck out! Red-alert! Once you get trapped inside the pissed-mist it's unlikely you'll ever get out again!"

Derek really needed to stop popping up in Lucas' mind at such inopportune times. It was true though. No matter how crass, his best friend did seem to have a knack for picking up on the behavior of the female species. As he sat there before her, Lucas could see that clearly young Miss James was not used to having her words questioned so readily by anyone. Lucas wondered if she secretly had a god complex…

"Whatever duties either myself, security personnel or any other employee of Miss Davis' are responsible for is none of your business, Mr. Scott."

Thin arms folded over in a staunch stance, her meaning more than fully conveyed. She had a no-nonsense, no-holds-barred kind of attitude about her and had she not been directing her attitude solely at him for whatever reason, Lucas probably would have liked her even more. Alas, she was launching her icy glare and harsh words in his direction and this was not the day to do so. Not after Lucas had spent the morning putting up with Derek's banter.

"Are you always so cranky?"

"Yes, she is."

Turning on the spot, cerulean orbs were met with the same emerald perfection that had been upon them a mere few nights prior. Dressed in a skin-tight charcoal skirt and an ivory blouse, Brooke Davis was every inch the mystical creature Lucas Scott had daydreamed about every minute since she had entered his orbit. As he tried in vain to gather his thoughts, a tiny smile invaded her highly-glossed lips as she titled her head to one side.

"Haley, would you hold my calls and ensure there are no interruptions please?"

Lucas couldn't bring himself to look at Haley for her response, although he could tell from the drop in the temperature that surrounded him, she was none-too-pleased with the request. However she remained tight-lipped, the honey-haired personal assistant merely nodding her head before scooting past the pair and taking her position behind the enormous reception desk.

Lucas swallowed hard, seeing first hand that it was likely that whatever Miss Davis wanted, Miss Davis received.

"Come, let me show you to my office."

Lucas forced himself to expel the breath he didn't know he had been holding, feeling all the tension his muscles had been holding painfully ease from his body as he followed the brunette fashionista into her carefully laid-out office. The wooden oak door closed gently behind them with a click and she made her way behind the commanding desk that lay positioned at the back of the room. The view was astonishing, a delightful array of luscious green leaves and sparkling blue river right at her fingertips. Without noticing he let out a contented sigh, his breath drawing her attention toward him as she followed his gaze.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

He nodded his head, swallowing hard once more. His throat made obvious strangling sounds and he silently cursed his stupid body for being so conspicuous. Muscles began to tense once more, Lucas doing his best to keep his fidgeting hands away from her view. He would never live it down if Derek found out he had been a nervous wreck over someone he barely knew.

"I've always wanted to return back home, you know, escape the city? I find Tree Hill perhaps one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Second only to Tuscany, perhaps?"

Was that a question? He remained silent, unsure how to even respond. Lucas had no money, he had no worldly experience. He could only dream of what the experience of Tuscany would be. His comparison would seem phony, at best.

"You know, I believe at some point in order for us to carry out a conversation you might need to respond. I mean, I could talk under water with a mouth full of marbles if need be, but you don't strike me as the strong, silent type. At last, that wasn't the impression I got when we first met?"

A smile. He couldn't help the way it charged over his lips that now shone from the saliva left by his tongue as it traversed them nervously. A small chuckle escaped his lips and he turned to face her, Brooke looking even more radiant without the tears of the previous night.

"I wouldn't know about Tuscany, Miss Davis. I myself have never been and therefore would be unable to compare it to Tree Hill."

"Fair point," Brooke countered, sliding behind the large desk and into the leather chair behind it. She motioned her hand forward, offering him a seat so that they sat across from each other. He was glad for the thickness of the wooden desk, a shield against the nerves this woman omitted from his entire body. "But can you imagine a place so beautiful it takes your breath away every day? Where the food is to die for and the people treat you like family? Where every day is a new adventure even though you've seen the same landscapes a thousand times over?"

"Yes," Lucas replied, a teasing smile coming to his lips. He couldn't explain why he felt the sudden need to be playful but she made it easy. "I call it home."

She laughed then, a sweet tune that carried through the office like a delightful melody. It made his heart soar slightly higher. "Touche!"

"And what about you?" Lucas leaned forward, his right forearm resting against the cold table top. "How would you describe Tuscany to someone like me? An oblivious mere mortal who has no life experience?"

"A dream. However I don't see you as someone who has no life experience, Lucas."

She said his name in full, her loveliness dripping from every syllable. He craved for her to say it again. Like an addict.

"No?"

"No. You read me like a book the other night."

Silence fell over them then like a thick, woolen blanket. His mind cast itself back to that night, how vulnerable she looked, how defeated. It was a far cry from the confident woman who greeted him in the waiting area. Yet once more she seemed uncertain, her lips parting slightly as if to speak - only to be pushed away by the shake of her head.

"So, Mr. Scott – what can I do for you?"

Damn. We were back to last names again.

Fumbling in his pocket, Lucas pulled out the receipt for the party services, sliding it gently across the table in apprehension. He hated that their conversation had come to this but it was essentially his only reason for coming. He was stupid to believe Derek and his big mouth. He wasn't like his best friend – he couldn't snap his fingers and make women want to be around him.

Certainly not a woman in the league of Brooke Davis.

"You could have had this sent over."

His eyes peeled themselves away from the fingertips he had been nervously flicking and landed back on the brunette before him. He swallowed loudly again, the noise causing her eyes to flicker slightly and register a tiny smirk. That simple act alone made his insides curl up and pull at one-another, the blonde losing his mind on the spot.

"I could have, but then I wouldn't have had to pleasure of seeing you again and where would the fun in that be?"

Her eyes popped wide open at his daring words and had he been able to step outside himself and look upon his body from some ethereal plane, Lucas believed he would have shot himself five times in the brain for ever being so stupid as to say such a thing to a woman like Brooke Davis.

"So you like fun?" Rouge-painted fingernails tapped softly on the desk top, Brooke leaning slightly over the desk and watching Lucas with curious eyes. She was enjoying the game he was playing and he wasn't about to let her down now.

"Doesn't everyone?"

She shook her head in immediate response, flaxen lashes dancing delicately over her green eyes as brunette locks kissed her shoulders. "No, I don't know many people who place importance on having fun."

That was a shame. Derek would die if he knew that. It was about the only thing in life his best friend placed any importance in. She needed someone like Derek in her life. Or someone like him. "Then maybe you don't know the right people?"

He felt his throat tighten as the words came out, the blonde writer never being so daring in his life. He had always played it safe, swimming between the flags on the beach, avoiding the shark-infested waters that would spell immediate doom. Yet something about this girl made his entire being scream that it was worth the risk. That she was worth any sort of trouble that was bound to follow her. But when she fell silent he became afraid that he had pushed it too far, his heart dropping as she straightened himself in the chair and felt his palms begin to perspire.

"Are you the right kind of people I should get to know?"

Dead. He believed the thud in his chest was his heart flat-lining. They may as well have called the morgue and given them a heads-up because there was no way he was getting this alive. No way he was going to be walking out of there with a steady heart rate and a normal pulse. His whole body tingled with excitement, itching to continue the game. She was playing it brilliantly and he was more than aware that he had to keep up. It was his turn and it was time to lay it all on the line.

All or nothing.

Winner takes all.

"There's only one way to find out."

He said it. He said it out loud and Derek would have been proud but all he could feel was the dread that she would cease this little game and knock him back down to reality. Thin lips were pushed apart by a pink tongue, her bottom lip swallowed by a lovely row of pearly white teeth.

"You have no idea how tempting that sounds."

Oh. Holy. Jesus.

Swoosh.

"Sweetheart, I've come to take you to lunch!" Commanding attention, Lucas sighed as Brooke's eyes were pulled from his and towards the figure that pushed his way into the office. So much for no interuptions!

"I'm sorry Brooke, there was no stopping him…" Haley could barely get a word out, her face both apologetic and miffed simultaneously only this time the contempt wasn't aimed at Lucas and for that he was thankful. Also, he happened to share her obvious annoyance.

"Oh hush Haley, you tried but you know I never like to wait, Brooke… oh, hello there."

Haley glared but turned on her heel and disappeared out of the office. Smoky grey eyes landed on Lucas and he immediately got to his feet, offering a nod of his head as the man from the other night glanced him over. He could already sense his distaste at the sight of the young writer but Lucas was used to such glances. Growing up the way he did, wrong side of the tracks and amidst town scandal, allowed him the uncanny ability to shrug off upper-class glances. Brooke on the other hand became slightly nervous, stepping between the two and wrapping her arm gently around the new arrival.

"Julian, this is Lucas from the catering company. He came by to drop off a receipt for the party the other night."

Skepticism permeated Julian's gaze and it did not go unnoticed by Lucas. He stood his ground though, determined not to cause Brooke any problems.

"Couldn't you have fed-ex'd it?"

"Yes Sir, I could have but we wanted to ensure that Miss Davis was satisfied with the service and so here I am."

"Here you are." Elongating the words, Julian didn't even try to hide his mistrust. A fake smile came to his lips and he threw it towards Lucas, the writer accepting it and sending back one of his own. He had grown up around tough, strong people – he could be just as strong if need be.

"Unfortunately Lucas we are not staying so I fear you may have wasted a trip. Brooke, we have that meeting with the wedding planner sweetheart and we don't want to be late."

Wedding? Smug bastard.

"Of course," batting her eyelashes once more, Brooke returned to her desk and grabbed her purse, heels clinking across the flooring as she made her way back to Julian's side. "Goodbye Lucas and thank you for personally coming to see me."

"Anytime," Lucas replied, a small smile coming to his lips as he played his part perfectly. This had all been a giant waste of time and anything he thought was going to happen before had obviously been a huge misconception on his part. He was stupid to think it was anything else.

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

Signaling towards the vibrating cell in his hand, Julian made his way towards the door and gestured for his fiancé to follow. Sending Lucas a quick nod, Brooke followed Julian in step, leaving the young writer standing in her office and pondering what the hell had just happened. He turned and glanced out over the view once more, shaking his head as a long sigh escaped his lips. Had he just imagined it? He would kill Derek for his wayward advice. Absolutely slaughter him.

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

Lucas turned at the quick-paced rhythm that suddenly invaded the office once more, Brooke barreling toward him at a high speed before launching herself onto his lips in the briefest but warmest of kisses. His lips exploded on impact, erupting a sense of hunger within that he had never felt before. Shock resonated through him, the electricity between them obvious as she pulled way to catch her breath.

She was breathless! She was as intoxicated as he was!

"I'm sure I'll be requiring your services at a later date, Mr. Scott."

And with that Brooke Davis turned on her heel and stormed back out of her office.

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The place hadn't changed since the last time she had been there. The street still smelled of jasmine, the small houses bathing in the glow of the afternoon sun. The cobalt Audi TT looked completely out of place, sticking out like a sore thumb in the poorer neighborhood. Leaves rustled along the asphalt as the wind picked up around them and wary eyes glanced nervously at the clock on the dashboard once more.

Five twenty-six. She had been sitting in her car for over twenty minutes and the smell of her freshly-sprayed leather was starting to make her feel light-headed. Clutching tightly onto the steering-wheel she whispered words of encouragement to get her to do what she came here to do.

Even though she had promised herself she would never come here again. For any reason. Never.

Now though, too much depended on it.

Ivory hands reached down and pulled the door handle south, releasing her from the leathery-fumes and bringing her conscious back to reality. She turned to the side and slid her demure legs out of the vehicle, standing to her feet as she looked across the street. With the exception of the house a few doors down that had an older gentleman watering his lawn, the street was relatively quiet. Taking a deep breath, stiletto pumps pushed against the hardened ground beneath her, determination taking over as she fought desperately to push away the nerves that wreaked havoc on her body.

Was she ready for this?

She had no time to back out now. Baby blues glanced up in her direction, ripped-muscles coming to a halt mid-air as he recognized her. Raven locks stood on end as he placed the hammer he was holding down and stood to his feet. He was shocked to see her no doubt, and he wore his wariness brilliantly. She stepped tentatively closer and sighed, unsure where to begin.

"What are you doing here, Haley?"

Okay, so he got to being but she was thankful for it. He had always had the ability to cut through the crap and get straight to the point. She was glad that even after all this time he was still the same in that respect.

"I need to talk to you about Lucas."

Her statement caught him off-guard, thick workman boots skipping down the front verandah steps until he was but a few inches from her. She could smell the pine he had been working with, his own scent mixed in. She remembered it well.

"Can we talk?"

He shook his head, a definitive 'no'. In all the time she had known him he'd never spoken about him before and she wasn't sure why she felt now it would be any different. Maybe because the complication of sex had been taken out of the equation?

"Please, you're the only one that can help."

"I find that hard to believe and rather ironic, don't you?"

It was a fair call. The last time she had seen him they had all but fought it out in the middle of the road. She had screamed that he was no good for her and could do nothing for her – he had shot back with calling her a social climber. The irony of the situation was not lost on her yet she had to do this, as hard as it was.

"Please. He's crossed paths with Brooke and it's causing complications…"

He snorted then, an act he had perfected when they were fighting once upon a time. "You mean he's not good enough for Miss Designer-Diva and you're here to request that his brother keep him away?"

His words were laced with disgust and she recoiled slightly at his ferociousness.

"Nathan, I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to. Please, for both of their sakes – keep him away from Brooke."

"My brother can see whomever he wishes," Nathan replied, folding his arms and holding his ground. "I'm neither his babysitter nor your man-servant, remember?"

Haley sighed, the frustration evident in her tone. Perhaps coming here had been a mistake but the look on Brooke's face when she ran from her office mixed with the dreamy grin Lucas had as he floated out behind her made Haley certain this was going to end in disaster.

"This isn't about us, Nathan. It's about Lucas and Brooke and the fact that they'll end up just like us if we don't do something right now to stop it."

"You mean your boss' lovely reputation will be shattered and my brother will be made to feel like he's not good enough for her?" The look on his face relayed the obvious hurt that still lingered there.

"If you could just try to understand…"

"I do understand, Haley." Nathan stepped back and raised his hands in the air in defeat, shaking his head as he looked at her. "Believe me, I understand perfectly. I'll remind my brother what side of the river he needs to stick to, okay?"

"Nathan…"

"Your Audi is waiting, Princess."

Picking up his hammer, Nathan turned and made his way back to the front porch, immediately slamming the tool into the wood and signaling the end of the discussion. All that was left to do was for Haley to walk back to her car and once again leave the familiar street from a distant memory behind.

And that's exactly what she did.

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