"Okay, spill Danvers."
Azrael and Davina cornered her in her own office. The door clicked when she looked up. Davina was quick to switch the lock. Her two friends came and stood arms crossed staring down at her.
"Spill what?" She questioned brows bunching together.
"I know you weren't just in La-la-land. That brain is super smart and always going a mile a minute. You know we mean earlier today! After the work meeting. You were seen by five people with Aro Turi. Walking in the town square getting coffee." Azrael set into her.
Drew's shoulders slumped as she sighed pushing back from her desk. She was thankful Davina locked the door. Azrael perched on her desk leaning closer.
"We were discussing work." She dismissed. "The bodies sitting in our fridges we are investigating those then looking into proper burial or returning them to their rightful homes."
She saw the disbelief written all over their faces.
"Uh-huh. Gianna told me that you were late, and he still graced you with his time." Davina rebutted. "Which he does not do for anyone. I witnessed a large man cowering under his stare. Sir. Turi is a scary man."
Drew pursed her lips. Why had her co-workers suddenly been so keen on her coming and goings? She cursed the always curious kind of her field. Davina wasn't stupid in the slightest and to try and fool her was silly. The same for Azrael. The man was a Cambridge graduate for a reason.
"Okay." She sighed glaring them both down. "Not a single word leaves this office of what is happening. It is still a few hours old. If word gets out, I will hunt each of you down. Am I understood? I will make the Mafia look like kittens. I haven't even signed an NDA to think of it, I wouldn't be surprised he wants me to sign one. Rich people do that kind of thing right? Okay, anyways."
"Come on, Danvers. Enough rambling. The details." Az interrupted.
"I was getting to that. Aro and I went for a walk. It was supposed to be a work discussion but that happened before our team meeting. Not a word on overtime." She snipped, cheeks burning. "When we did go walking, he bought me a tea. We discussed a lot of things, and well turns out he's been very obviously courting me."
The more Drew reflected on the time they had known each other, she realized just how obvious Aro had been with his indulgences of her. She had literally been his date to his Gala. The man inspired fear in many of her coworkers, yet he had never been anything but polite to her. She bit her bottom lip.
"Courting, you're so cute Drew. It's clear the man likes you. Now did you say yes to that?" Davina leant in closer.
"I did yes," Drew exhaled. "We are to remain professional at work though. I want to keep this as under wraps as possible. Please both of you. I know gossip is like gold here but please. Give us some time to see if we're compatible. I haven't dated in so long even then it wasn't a man. How the hell does one even date a man?!"
"Oh, our sweet Danvers, it's okay," Azrael leant over pulling her into an awkward hug across the desk. "We won't spill at least for a month, deal? Join us for lunch tomorrow and we will discuss it."
"I'll be over with a bottle of wine if you want to talk tonight." Davina offered. "That or we can binge some Supernatural."
"It's literally only Monday at noon." She reminded. "I don't do alcohol on a week night unless it's at dinner. I know how dangerous it is to drink with you."
"She refills your wine glass too?" Azrael laughed.
"Yeah, she thinks I don't see it." Drew shot Davina a glare. The teen merely gave a wide grin.
"You're such a prude with alcohol. You colonials are so puritan at times." Davina rolled her eyes.
"Hey, I don't care if people drink. I'm not nineteen anymore like you are. I'm closer to thirty than twenty. Hangovers are serious at this age, and with our line of work can be dangerous. We work under the hot sun. a hangover can dehydrate us." She reminded Davina. "Now I believe you two are usually off to lunch right now. I need to get back to it, if I hurry I maybe able to get this update report typed up for Aro before his brother comes up from the archives."
Drew turned to her computer shaking the mouse to wake up the machine that had gone into sleep mode since they arrived. She quicky typed in her password ignoring her co-workers who still lingered.
Her login shook, not budging.
"What the…" she whispered retyping her password.
A timer appeared freezing up her screen. What in the heck? She mentally cussed while quickly trying the many tricks she'd learnt for computers to get it to override. The computer in turn just dinged at her and remained. She huffed.
"Okay, who locked my computer?" She turned back to her retreating co-workers. "Carlos Michel Azrael why can't I access my computer?"
The tall man was a few feet from her, stiff as a board. He offered a sad smile. He pulled out a piece of paper folded neatly. "I received an order at eight am this morning. I say it was not my choice, Danvers. I would never restrict your computer. It was from higher up. I fear him more than you."
She snatched it from him quickly opening it.
'Dear doctor,
I fear you are over working yourself, for further notice you are to take your riposo. I have reached out to IT to make sure of it.
Sincerely yours,
Aro'
"Son of a bitch." She hissed standing up. "I'll see you two later."
"You could always join us for the time." Davina offered intercepting her.
Drew smiled reaching up to cup Davina's cheek. "I appreciate the offer. I'll join you tomorrow I promise. Right now, I'm going to castrate a man."
"Danvers, you can't do that." Azrael warned stepping up beside Davina, subsequentially blocking her into her own office.
"Watch me, Aro will rue the day he ever locked me out of—"
"Your frustration Danvers is perfectly reasonable," Azrael cut her off. "He is busy in a meeting currently."
She deflated pursing her lips backing up. "Batard…"
"Come take your riposo with us, actually be human for a few hours." Davina linked her arm through Drew's and Azrael did the other, dragging her into the hall.
Drew swiped her key card to her office, re-entering after being dragged to a restaurant to spend a few hours in. Davina had sat on one side of her and Azrael on the other of the circular booth. She was held hostage way passed what she deemed appropriate. An hour tops was acceptable, why did she need nearly two and a half to be alone. She didn't get a step into her office when a throat cleared.
She paused looking back. There in her door frame, Marcus stood. His brown hair tied back with a red ribbon, he was in a button down with the top two undone and the sleeves folded around his elbows. His vest over the white top was loose as well. She closed her falling jaw.
"Afternoon Dr. Danvers, Aro advised I was to be working with you on a current project." He took in her office, before settling his dark gaze upon her. A polite closed lip smile on his face.
"Marcus! I'm so sorry, I'm just getting settled come in." She waved him in. "Your brother made sure I took my riposo after all."
She kept her snark down as much as she could. The whole situation still left a bitter taste in her mouth. She despised when people made decisions about her without confronting her. He'd had IT go out of their way to lock her computer as if she were a child needing to limit her screen time. If it weren't a progress report, she needed to have typed up by the end of the week of their progress report she'd have done it on paper.
Her anger that was simmering wasn't directed at his brother though. She had to remind herself. They were for Aro. Not Marcus. No, they were here to go through the many files he'd brought up with him last week. He'd be able to point her in the right direction if she needed anything else.
"Aro is an advocate of work life balance." Marcus commented sitting down across from her. "Do you wish to do this here or in a room where we can spread these out? I know I had given you quite a few references."
She put her bag aside she looked at her computer and the report she'd been working on before being interrupted earlier that day. "I hadn't thought that exactly over… I feel so unprepared for this. I'm sorry Marcus,"
"Dr. Danvers do not fret. I can hear your mind racing a mile a minute. Your routine has been disturbed by my very overbearing brother. I am here until we finish up this project of yours. So, we have time. We can even make it, so it is only scheduled for two hours a day so to allow you time for your main work." He offered.
"That is reasonable. Yes. That works for me."
"Tell me what you have so far for the report?" Marcus encouraged leaning back.
He barely fit at the desk in the leather chair across from her. His broad shoulders were over the edges and his knees bending what looked a bit uncomfortable. She turned back to her computer pulling up her messy file with the many scans and her typed reports.
"I've got a break down of the ages of the bodies, the conditions in which they were found. The main report is just jotted notes from the what ifs. I mean finding a full mummy and a partial one, is odd. Italy is not the correct area to find such. The age of the corpses shows that there is a vast age difference between the partial and full. It just so happens the property they were found on was during a time of mummies being consumed by Europeans. So, I wanted to see if my theory of these two being from that age correct. If the one was a practice piece or if the other corpses were also to be used in such a way."
"You are looking to see if we were partaking in the mummy trade, and used other corpses to pretend they were ancient mummies for profit?" Marcus clarified.
"Well, your family is quite rich, and a dollar is a dollar?" She paused meeting his gaze.
"I see, well then, let us see if your theory is correct." Marcus reached forward to the pile at the top right of her desk, he began sorting through the papers.
"Shouldn't you be wearing gloves to go through the archival papers?"
"These are only copies, not the physical ones. I assure you." He winked at her before returning to the papers.
"Thank you, by the way Marcus. I appreciate the help and access to these classified files."
"It is of little effort." Marcus assured not looking up.
She got to work typing out the report of what they had gotten done and what they had so far.
Drew yawned shutting off the tv in her flat living room. The little news station was background noise while she tried to read a book. She tossed the book down on the couch opposite her, it bounced off the dark Italian leather.
It'd been three hours since she'd gone home, her computer happily froze the moment the clock hit six. She'd narrowly avoided making a fool of herself in front of Marcus, by cussing Aro out. Her computer tricks be damned, IT had locked her out. She'd thankfully saved her work before the computer shutdown. There'd been too many times she'd lost an essay hours before it was due. Many sleepless nights.
She stood stretching looking around the quiet flat. She wiped her hands on her short shorts, before grabbing the popcorn bowl she'd finished. Her flat was bigger than her condo downtown Toronto she'd been able to purchase with her parents and grand-parents inheritance. Everything in the flat was luxury and high end. she'd spent her first four months tiptoeing around and being careful of every little scuff on the real wood and tile floors.
She tossed the bowl in the sink along with her dinner dishes she'd do in the morning. she'd rinsed them already and it'd be simple to do before she left for work. She looked at the clock above the stove, it was a few minutes passed nine in the evening. She sighed covering a yawn.
An early night would do her good. The sleep may keep her from straddling Aro for what he'd done. She stopped herself before going down that rabbit hole. She'd done that already today. She turned on her heel flipping the lights out of the living room. The place even had dimmers. She was really looking to invest in them when she got back home.
A knock echoed out.
She froze mid step turning quickly to see who was knocking on her door. She didn't need Davina barging in. She adored the teen, but personal space and privacy was still a learning curb for her. She stepped up on her tip toes to peered through the peep hole in the dark wooden door.
Aro stood hands in his trouser pockets. He'd left his hair down in a long wave of onyx. His dark gaze lingered on the door. Not the guest she needed lingering in the hall. She swung open the door.
"Aro." She declared staring up at him.
She blinked a few times, taking in the fact he was that much taller when she was without shoes or heels. She really needed to make sure not to be caught barefooted. She glanced down at least she'd gone with Davina to get a pedicure two weeks ago. The taupe gloss still in place. She quickly looked back up at him.
Aro was always eyeing her up, slowly taking her in.
"Apologies, Doctor. I did not mean to catch you in such a state?" His brow quirked.
She looked back down. For all that is holy! she mentally screamed, a little yip escaping her. She'd gotten undressed almost two hours ago into her black satin night shorts, and the matching tank top. The straps were a soft lace. She'd also not kept her bra on. What sane person did? The type of dress best kept for behind closed doors. Not in front of her boss. One she was wanting to straddle for two whole different reasons.
"I was just reading before bed…" she crossed her arms over her chest. The cool air of the hall had hardened her nipples, enough for anyone to see.
"It was a mistake for me to come here unannounced, I will see you in the morning." He cleared his throat taking a step back.
"Aro –wait…" she sighed reaching out. "Come in."
"Are you certain?" He eyed her over.
She tried in vain to hide her growing smile. He was acting as if he were a scandalized gentleman from some regency film, worried about her honor.
"I'm not some blushing virgin, yes. We're adults who can communicate our boundaries." She snickered. "Plus, the longer you linger the more likely Davina opens that door to give us the third degree."
"Ah," he nodded once following her inside.
She flipped the light on that was over the island of her kitchen, she pulled the stools out motioning for him to sit. "Do you want a cup of tea?"
"I am alright," he declined.
"So, what brings you here so late?"
"I was under the impression this was merely the after-dinner time." He commented.
"That's for Europeans. I'm Canadian and take my dinner at six." She replied. "I usually am up though, doing something at any time."
"Allow me to guess, work?" He teased.
"Hey! That is a sore spot currently sir. Which reminds me, I have half a mind to yell at you. The other is reminding me that I don't need a noise complaint. You locked me out of the system on a timer. What the hell was it for? Do you not trust me to be an adult enough to begin working in a riposo and know when to go home? You cut me off cold turkey, which could lead to a deleted project if I can't save it in time." She blurted.
Aro had the decency to look sheepish. "Marcus mentioned, you had been muttering about wanting to curse me on a few occasions. It was why I was here."
"Well good, I don't like being treated like some little kid." She crossed her arms.
"I thought I had been clear today when we spoke, that you were to begin taking your brakes. I thought a timer would be helpful." He admitted.
"Aro, if you wish to get to know me. The first thing is you need to realize I've been doing a lot of things on my own since I was a young kid. I'm fiercely independent and don't like when people restrict me without asking if I need such a system in place. You over stepped."
He reached out for her hand, leaning closer to her on the stool. She looked up from under her lashes allowing him to take her hand. He ran a cool thumb over the back of her hand.
"I am sorry Drew, that I did not. I had not realized it upset you such. I will rectify this immediately. If you find it hard to implement the balance, will you come to me? I only wish to see you succeed in this role in your best shape." He apologized.
A little twinkle in his eyes, the corners wrinkled with his upturn of his smile. She sighed, stomach warming the longer she looked at him.
"A deal, I will try and ask for help if I need it. You will come to me if you think there is some changes I need to make. Got it? No taking initiatives for me without consulting me."
"Got it," he smiled leaning in merely inches from her face. "You look quite good when you are not dressed so properly."
She snorted pushing back. "You think with your lower head a little too much sometimes."
"You haven't the foggiest idea, cara mia. Since the moment I met you, I thought you were quite stunning. A strong passionate woman." His hand caught her waist pulling her close, her standing still had her shorter than him while he sat. She rested between his legs.
"Aro, are you trying to sweet-talk me, so I don't remain mad at you?" She whispered when his thumb caught her chin tilting her up towards him.
"Is it working?"
She closed the distance pressing her lips to his. Her hands sliding up around his neck pulling him closer.
He returned her kiss with vigor, pressing back. His hands ran over her waist down to her behind holding her in place. It wasn't long until his tongue ran over her bottom lip requesting entrance. She relaxed allowing him to mingle his tongue with hers. He was like honey, sweet when she tasted him. She began to feel dizzy while holding on to his neck to anchor her and let his silk strands of hair run through her fingers.
As quickly as it started, she pulled back gasping for air. Holding on for dear life, she took a moment to gather herself. She met his gaze, hooded as he watched her. Her cheeks burning, lips swollen from the kiss. She exhaled.
"I should bid you a goodnight, Doctor. Seeing you in such a state of desire, burning to be touched. I do not wish to push you tonight."
"If I was willing?" She questioned, still out of breath.
"I wish to take you on a proper date before such. I also wish for more time, to worship you properly, like a woman deserves." He replied, voice dipping deeper.