Damon untangled his legs from the sheets and swung them off the bed. He stood staring at the closed bathroom door in awe. He couldn't believe what had just happened and so he listened for the hiss of a shower but heard nothing.

He chuckled, shaking his head and swiped his jeans off the floor. She had some nerve, taking a call from Parker after a session like that. He was scouting the floor for his shoes when he heard the door click open.

"You wanna call in for some Chinese?" Bonnie asked, appearing at the doorway.

"Clearly I've overstayed my welcome." he huffed, grabbing the last item from the floor. He could sense her eyes widening at the scene.

"What're you doing?" she asked alarmed and advanced toward him, "I don't understand why you're so upset."

"You understand why I'm so upset? I mean if you feel the need to take calls from another man under the guise of taking a shower then…"

"It was a perfectly innocent bloody phone call." She flung back.

"Then why couldn't you answer it in front of me?"

"I'm not gonna justify myself to you. Why are we even discussing this?"

"Because we just fucked Bonnie! "We just fucked."

"Exactly, fucked being the operative word here!"

A muscle jumped in his jaw and rather than retaliate, he spun around and bolted out the bedroom.

Grabbing his arm, she pulled so he could look back at her, "So you have a problem with me seeing other people while we have our lil fuck fest?"

He freed his arm from her grasp and loped down the stairs. Breathless, she ran down the stairway and followed him into the living room. In three long strides she was behind him, her hand around his arm, spinning him around and forcing him to face her.

"Are you jealous?" she asked, a trace of amusement in her voice

"No. Disappointed." he said in a clipped tone.

She sighed, dropped her hands to her hips and said, "Look we're both tired. It's been a long night. Maybe we should stop before one of us says something stupid."

He held up his hand to stop her, "Too late."

He walked out and shut the door behind him. Rushing through the lobby, past her doorman, he dived into the cool evening air and took long inhales. A brisk wind chided his cheeks, rifling through his hair and he turned his collar up, hugging the jacket tighter around him.

His chest was still heaving from all the emotions he felt as he thrust his hand up to hail a taxi. Risking a look over his shoulder, his spirits sank even lower when he discovered that she had not attempted to go after him. He simply wasn't important enough to her.

He needed her to need him. It wasn't an ego thing but he just couldn't settle for less. If she was still hung up on Kai Parker then he wanted nothing to do with her. A man who'd invited her to his place, made a show of cooking for her and he had clearly left an impression if she was still willing to take his calls.

He ducked his head and climbed into the taxi that had pulled up in front of him.

Here he was and he couldn't even boil an egg. Damon shook his head. Sure, she didn't want a relationship but he did and his feelings had to count for something. Damn her for making him second guess himself. He was unused to the emotions that coursed through him.

..

They barely exchanged ten words to each other at the office the following day. When she wasn't pecking away on her laptop she listened to the hum of the office, sipped her coffee and stole an occasional glance at Damon whose fingers were flying over the keys on his laptop.

..

"You coming to the party next week?"

"What party?" Bonnie asked as she picked up a bottle of water from the vending machine. She untwisted the cap and took three swigs.

Kat slotted a few coins into the machine and selected a can of soda "Damon's birthday party. Ric throws his prize bull a party every year like clockwork. It's nothing too big but hey, I mean who's gonna say no to free beer on a work night? It's an excuse to come to the office with a massive hang-over."

She bent down to retrieve the can as it thudded out "Not that this lot needs an excuse to drink."

"I don't know, I might be busy." Bonnie mumbled back, taking another sip. A part of her felt hurt that he hadn't bothered to disclose this fact to her but then could she really blame him?

"You don't even know what day it's on." Kat eyed her suspiciously.

"Right. When is it?"

"Next week Friday."

"Too bad. I'm flying out to DC Friday night. My mom's invited me to some gala dinner where she'll be giving a speech." She sounded relieved even as she said it.

It wasn't a lie and she was grateful to have an excuse. She still felt guilty about taking that call from Kai. The conversation with him had been innocent at best, all they talked about was how sorry he was he hadn't called sooner, how they should meet again to which she had promised to call him.

All innocent. No funny business but she still felt guilty.

Maybe Damon was right. Perhaps she had been a little bit too insensitive. She had her walls up with Damon, no doubt about but could he blame her with his history?

..

The takeout bag hung off the crook off her elbow as she climbed up the stairs. It had been three days since she made love to Damon and they still hadn't really spoken aside from cordial conversation at work. He'd been avoiding her like a plague and she didn't blame him. It's not like she'd gone the extra mile to explain herself but now she was ready.

She hesitated outside his door and smoothed her hair back over the collar of her trench coat. Her hand poised to knock on the door then pulled it back, clenching it into a fist. She tugged the waistband of her skinny jeans, pulled down the hem of her slouchy cashmere sweater and adjusted the chain-link strap of her Chanel purse before finally making contact with the door.

Minutes later she heard the chain being raised and then the door cracked open an inch. His head poked out and he threw the door open, allowing her to step inside.

"Hey." she greeted him.

"Hi." He cocked an eyebrow, looking at her expectantly.

Her gaze swept over him, noting the ratty looking t-shirt stretched over his shoulders and the gray sweatpants slung low over his hips.

"I was in your neighbourhood picking up some Korean." she gestured to the takeout bag in her hand. She felt her palms sweat and was surprised that her voice betrayed none of the nervousness she felt.

"Long way for a meal." He smiled, tilting his head to the side so he could better access her.

"Are you gonna invite me in? The food's getting cold."

Shaking his head, he took the takeout bag from her, helped her out of her coat and turned to place both down on a nearby counter. Her eyes flitted down to his ass and she quickly looked away, feeling guilty for having admired the globes of muscled ass without his consent.

"How did you know where I stayed?" he asked, looking at her over his shoulder.

"I might have looked through your employment files. It's not a crime."

"Actually it is. It's called stalking." he turned, hands on his hips and half smiled. The placement of his hands made her eyes wander to his hips again and down to his groin where she could see his dick print through the fabric.

Clearing her throat, she shut her eyes, whipped her head to the right so she could look away from him and quickly said "I'm sorry about the other night. I'm sorry that I took that call. It was a spectacularly stupid move from my part. I was a huge-"

"Dick. Jerk-ass. Pompus jerk?"

"Ok. I get the idea. I was awful and you hate me."

"I don't hate you." he said with a kindness she felt like she didn't deserve.

She was suddenly aware that he'd closed the gap between them and that the hallway was barely big enough to fit both of them. His breath slowed while hers kicked up a notch. His eyes locked into her hers, saying more than words ever could. She was itching to touch him but she held back and when he turned, she manoeuvred past a stack of books lining one wall and followed him into the apartment. She surveyed the space, the framed photos on the small wall unit, the political books filling a bookshelf and the kitchen visible from the living room where they stood.

The living room boasted a ceiling fan fixed above a distressed leather couch, no pillows, a gray area rug and a coffee-table that looked like it had been salvaged from a garage sale. Sitting atop the table were a few Political magazines, an open lap-top and an open beer. His sliding door opened to a tiny balcony and she could see the sunset reddening the rooftops.

His place looked lived-in.

This surprised her because she had expected a more modern apartment, sleek and cold because she never figured him to be the type that was closely tied to things.

"Nice place."

"Thanks."

She looked down at her feet momentarily, fidgeting with the strap of her bag, and caught a glimpse of his bare feet before looking back up to his face.

Clearing her throat, she said "I might have had preconceived ideas about you coming into this but even you didn't deserve the way I treated you."

"You know what I want and you know how I feel about you."

"And yet I can't trust that you've never felt this way before. You have a reputation around the office."

"You're right, you can't and I suppose I do. You're scared and I get it." he nodded, his gaze bold and direct, "I don't want you to agree to something you don't want to agree with."

"When have you ever known me to do that?" she smiled hesitantly.

"I don't want to date anybody else and I don't want you seeing anybody else but me."

"I wanna keep things low-key." She countered.

"Got it."

"I'm not saying no to monogamy. I just wanna keep whatever we have going on here low key for now."

"Like I said, got it."

They fell into silence and she felt the seconds tick by.

"You gonna offer me something to drink?" she finally asked.

"Sure." he ventured into the kitchen and picked up the bottle of wine she'd brought.

"You want some wine or beer?" he gestured to the table and to his opened bottle of beer.

"Uhm, beer would be great actually. Oh I also brought this as a peace offering."

"Whiskey." he smiled, his gaze sliding to the bottle in her hand.

"You don't have to open it now but I figured that it ought to do the trick."

..

Damn raised an eyebrow, "After much grovelling of course."

"But of course." She smiled, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

She looked damn good standing there in the slip of a sweater that advertised her nipples. He remembered them now, hard and puckered in his wet mouth. Even though every nerve in his body wanted to take her in his arms, make love to her and accept all her bullshit he wanted her to work for the apology.

"I don't think you've done enough grovelling. That move you pulled really hurt me." he said and surprised even himself with his gut-wrenching honesty.

"I'm sorry. I really do like you."

"But you just don't date your co-workers."

"No, evidently I just sleep with them." She grinned then looked down at her feet. She looked so open and vulnerable and it made him want her even more.

"Come on, food's getting cold." He heard himself speak and carried the takeout to the table in the living room. They opened the cartons and the smell of spicy Korean food filled the room. Damon's gaze swept across the dishes of Kimshi, pork bulgogi, dumplings and pickled vegetables.

She retrieved two sets of disposable chopsticks from the plastic bag and handed him a set. He pulled them apart and rubbed them against each other. Damon had been mad as hell when she'd taken that call from Parker but now sitting across from her, that anger was gone. He'd missed her. He'd missed this.

"I hear Ric is throwing you a little dinner party this Friday." she said using her chopsticks to shovel a pile of vegetables onto her plate.

"It's more like a small barbeque."

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"

"Why does it matter? What would that have changed?"

"I don't know."

"I know you'll be out of town."

"You do?"

"A little bird told me."

Bonnie shook her head and rolled her eyes, assuming the bird he was referring to was Katherine.

"Listen, go to Washington. You need this time with your mother."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm a big boy, Thatcher. I don't need you to hold my hand while I blow out the candles." he said, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Come with me." She suddenly offered, her eyes dancing with the sheer brilliance of the idea.

"Is this you keeping things low-key?"

"This is me being a fly by the seat of her pants kinda girl."

A flick of tongue swiped at the sauce on his lips and he smiled "You're a list girl. There's no changing that."

"Indulge me."

"I'll think about it."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

..

When the meal was finished and a six pack of beer polished, he walked her to the door and handed her her coat.

"I have a great time, "she purred, her eyes sliding down his face to pause on his lips.

"Thanks for the food." He opened the door and groaned as he brushed up against her.

Shutting the door with her back, they heard it click as she whispered "Anytime."

"Bon-"

She didn't let him finish, pulling his mouth to hers, she drove him to the nearest wall and his breath went in a sharp intake as his back collided with it. She grabbed his shirt and tore it off his body. Her kiss was hard and hungry as she threw her arms around his neck.

"I have to be at the airport in an hour so we have exactly thirty minutes?" she arched an eyebrow, her hands undoing the buttons of her jeans.

They continued to kiss as they as he steered her backward toward the bedroom. They stumbled but clung desperately to the kiss, falling into each other on top of the bed. She climbed his body, sliding onto him and planted her hands on his chest. She began to ride him, emitting a moan with every thrust of her hips and Damon fastened his hands around her hips so that he could control the movement.

He thrust into her slowly, savouring each stroke and watched he watched her face as she sighed to their rhythm.

He cried out her name as he climaxed.

She came just after he did, good but not as intense as she had wanted. Too much on her mind.

..

They lay in bed, turned towards each other, battered and spent. Then she slinked off the mattress and picked her bra and panties up off the floor. She padded barefoot to the lounge and retrieved her shoes from the rug, next to the coffee table laden with empty take-out cartons.

Damon poured himself a glass of water from the tap and offered her one.

"I gotta go." She said, nodding toward the door. She was already fully dressed and swiped her purse off the counter.

"You're something else." he chuckled, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?"

"No, just."

"Uhm, Oh. Kay."

"One minute you blow hot, the next you blow cold."

"I'm not cold; I just have to rush to the airport. If you want, "she said taking an airline ticket out of her purse, "you can join me. I'm hoping you consider it. It'll be fun."

She offered him the ticket but when he didn't budge from his position by the sink, she left it on the counter and walked out of his apartment.

..