[Rachel] -- On returning from Cairo via Paris

[elementof_risk]

[ooc: Played out in AIM with my_strappyshoes, cleaned up, and such. Silly pups. NSFW, quickly]

April 4, 2008

my-strappyshoes: You are exceptionally polite when you want something you know.
elementof-risk: I find it works better sometimes
my-strappyshoes: I'm attractive. I use that to my advantage.
elementof-risk: Yes, you are. I generally find that works well for me, too.
my-strappyshoes: So you were going to call me? Or has it been so long that you think you should drop by.
elementof-risk: I think I was supposed to call, though if it's been long enough, I could drop by....
my-strappyshoes: You should stop by, I'm out of wine though.
elementof-risk: I can bring some.
my-strappyshoes: You don't have to, unless you need to.
elementof-risk: I don't need to, no. I think we could manage without.
my-strappyshoes: That's good, and I'm positive we can manage just fine.
elementof-risk: I'll be there soon, then.
my-strappyshoes: I'll be here... still.

He arrived about an hour later, knocking lightly on the door of the condo, leaning lightly on the door jamb. He'd been in Paris, after Cairo, deciding he could take on a slight side project. He wasn't sure who else was on the list for certain, but he had some ideas, and he didn't much care if the target was above or below him. He'd killed a few CIA agents, that meant he was on the list somewhere--and Sark was willing to believe he was higher. Besides, he was competition, and he was feeling the need to prove he was fully in the game, again. Then, of course, part of the reason kept haunting him, and here he was outside of her door again, waiting for her to answer and trying not to think too hard about the whys.

Rachel wasn't sure how long it would take him to show up. A few minutes if he was as deceptive about his whereabouts as she had been, or a few hours or even a day. She might've waited, it was Friday and thankfully Dixon pulled the short straw and was on call for the weekend. On call was the worst, because if anything at all happened you had to be at APO within an hour to make sure everything was being handled, and if it couldn't be? It was your job to decide who had to come in to help. She hated on call. She decided against a doctor for that reason. So she changed into a pair of drawstring pants and a tank top, because truly even if he did show up she'd been in far less around him. When she heard the knock she had to stop her own heart from racing a bit, and pushed her hair out of her eyes and opened the door. Though her whole reasoning behind being cool and collected went right out the door as she wound her hand around to the back of his neck pulling him out of the hallway and into a kiss.

Sark slid his arms around her immediately, pressing close as he returned the kiss. Everything else, every reason, every rationalization went out the window at the feel of her lips on his. He kissed her back hungrily, fingers sliding into her hair, caressing the back of her neck. Walking her back he tried to get them fully through the door, kicking it closed, heedless of anything else.

The slight slam to the door didn't even phase her. She moved along with him a bit until she could press him to the wall. Pulling away from him searching his eyes for a moment biting her bottom lip a bit as she leaned against him, her leg slipping up a bit alongside his, "So if I said I am pretty sure... like eighty two percent sure that I missed you, you'd believe me right?"

He smiled a bit, returning her look with a searching one of his own, fingers still lightly stroking, reveling in the feel of her hair against them. How quickly something could become so addictive...He slid his hand to brush his thumb down her cheek. "I think I might, actually."

"I think you might be underestimating the facts, I'd be as bold as to say you're settling for whatever percentage I'd have offered, since it came with a kiss," she replied letting her cheek turn into the brush of his thumb pressing her lips to skin lightly. Her hands moved to rest upon his chest, her fingers instantly making their way to unbutton another button toward the top of his shirt. "I think the percentages are in your favor anyway." She wanted to ask what he'd been doing, but she knew better than to ask, especially given the random reports they'd been getting in over the past few days.

"I really do try not to underestimate anything," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her again. His fingers ghosted down her neck, over her shoulders, trailing lightly over skin. Hooking in the straps of her tank top, they tugged lightly, partly teasing, partly threatening to rip, before he slid his hands down, along her sides to settle at her waist. "Especially you...."

Rachel smiled into the kiss a bit, the tension of fabric pulled taut for a moment almost made her want for it to rip, just to have that sort of shock to it all, that rawness that she knew was in him as well as her. But there was also slight relief when his hands moved against her hips, the weight of them giving her more stability in the moment. Letting her hands inch down across his chest she slipped another button loose from the eyelet, letting her mouth shift away from his to press to his neck. She breathed him in for a moment, the warm smell of him that hinted with leather interior and something she'd never quite pinpoint other than it was just how he smelled. From the curve where his neck met his shoulder she tugged at his collar, pulling it away from skin and pressing to part his shirt further open, despite all the buttons not being undone yet. Her lips trailed behind a path marked by the light touches of her fingertips, tongue pressing to skin ever so slightly. She continued her efforts of unbuttoning until her hands could slip across his skin with ease, winding around to press lightly against his spine to pull herself into him more fully. "That's good to hear," she replied against his skin before parting to return to meet his eyes, "God, I can't even... I missed you," she finally confessed truthfully.

He let his head fall back against the wall at her touches, the feel of her lips trailing over his skin. It was more intoxicating than anything he could have brought, and he felt a shiver slide slowly over his skin at the thought. His hands slowly traced circles, inching higher as they slid under her tank top. Fabric slid up with his hands until his palms settled over her ribs. His thumbs stroked inward, along the underside of her breasts, letting their weight rest against the curve of the joinder of thumb and palm. At her confession, he smiled, meeting her eyes, holding her gaze for a long moment as he let her words sink in, holding them close against him with just the idea of them resting deep inside. The words weren't easy for him to say, a confession of weakness beyond what he was used to admitting to, but they came anyway, soft and sure. "I missed you, too."

His words meant so much more to her because she knew that he probably wasn't the type to admit something like that, especially considering the risk. She knew the risk for herself wasn't any greater than his, but at times she felt torn between who she might have been had they told her the truth... back in Prague... or anywhere really. If she would've stayed, or if she would've still ended up on this side of things. Though this side of things still had this man pinned between her and the wall, which wasn't exactly a bad thing. Her eyes stayed with his, her features softened by his words. Rachel let one of her hands slip from behind him, up to his arm. Sliding against his sleeve and beneath her shirt a bit she met his wrist and covered his hand with hers, pressing it up against her breast fully, leaving her hand upon his that was pressed to herself as she leaned in and kissed him. Lips parted to catch against his bottom lip for a moment, teasing lightly with her tongue before slipping up against his mouth, to let her tongue slip past teeth briefly and join his. As she deepened their kiss a slight whimper of need stirring from the back of her throat.

He was glad there wasn't more talking for the moment, the faint admission costing more than he'd like to have said. He leaned in to the kiss instead, his tongue meeting hers, teasing against it. He drank in the sound of her whimper, the need in it, feeling an answering echo in the pit of his stomach, reacting to her with a visceral sort of desire. His fingers stroked over her breast, tracing the delicate skin, cupping the warmth in his palm as he caressed her. His thumb teasingly flicked over her nipple, a soft sound of satisfaction escaping the back of his throat as it peaked. He'd thought of her the whole flight back to Los Angeles, letting himself dream of this, remember the taste of her, and finding now all the little things his memory had yet to permanently grasp. He pressed off the wall a bit, just to let the length of his body arch into hers a bit demandingly.

She wanted that touch, that solid press against herself, and even as he gave it to her she still needed more. It ached in her a bit more than she wanted to confide to anyone, especially lately, but with him there before her it was hard not to simply give into every whim she had left in her mind. The press of him against her, that force of contact caused her leg to shift once more against the outside of his, hooking her heel around to steady her stance as she allowed the lean into him to feel more flush to his body. He made her breath feel too short, and maybe that was something she wanted, or needed, but it ran through her so easily and she let it. Her mouth still kept pressed to his, pulling in a breath that was near a gasp as his fingers eased against her newly aroused nipple. Rachel let her hands slip quickly away from his hand beneath her own shirt, to the buckle of his belt. She was skilled at it now, only needing the one hand to tug it open and let it be pulled effortlessly from loops around his waist. Maybe it was rushed, or maybe it just felt a bit quick, but she didn't even care. She'd pushed past waiting for him to get back, to having him there against her body and she didn't really want to waste anymore time. Her hand unfastened his pants, tugging the zipper just halfway along jagged teeth, just enough to let her hand slip in. Rachel let her fingers brush lightly against him teasing against him as she smiled into the kiss that was slowly pulling away.

It felt more like the first time, need taking over quickly, demanding they both give in, when rational thought that said you didn't let strangers into your room ceased to matter, and all you wanted was more of this. He broke the kiss just to tug her tank top off her, throwing it to the side before sliding his hands back over newly revealed skin. His mouth found hers again with a moan, hips pressing into her hand. That teasing touch was enough to make his head reel, desire quickening in his blood. It hadn't been that long, had it? Just a few days, and he felt it was too long. The bed was also too far, required moving too many steps, hands leaving where they were, and all of that was unacceptable. His hands slid back to her hips, undoing the drawstring of her pants and letting them fall.


The cool air hit her skin but the press of his body to hers once more allowed his body heat to sink against her skin easily. As his hips shifted into the contact she let her hand take hold of him. Feeling the tug of his wrist slightly against her own as soon her pants were falling off her hips and getting caught up at the point where her foot had still tried to keep it's hold against his leg. Unhooking against him and stepping out of her pajama bottoms she pushed them out of the way from under her feet and his. Her body pulled up against his easily, her hand slipping against him, feeling him grow harder beneath her touch. Just the feel of him against her hand sent a tug to the very core of her. That need in her growing the more she simply stood there holding him in her hand and feeling his mouth press to hers. She wanted him, and it was as simple as that, and telling him that would be easier if his kisses weren't something she didn't really want to part from.

Her hand against him was quickly driving him from want to need. His hips pressed forward into her hand, rocking a little as one of his hands slid back to cup her breast, thumb flicking back over her nipple. He kissed her harder, tongue tangling with hers more desperately. He shifted a bit to shrug out his shirt, letting it fall as well, somewhere near her pants, then leaned back against the wall, tugging her against him until only her hand on him separated them. He let his hands run over her, slowly exploring her curves. Sliding them down, he cupped her ass, fingers teasing lightly as he held her against him.

Pressing up on the tips of her toes for a moment she leaned up against him, letting his hand brush a bit further against where the back of her leg met the curve of her ass. The hand that wasn't stroking against him tugged at his pants, needing them lower, needing them off of him. Her foot tugged against the leg helping her efforts just so she wouldn't have to let go of him. The feel of his thigh pressing bare to hers sparked a smirk across her lips, "I think this'll work better if my back is to the wall."

"I do believe you're right..." It was the work of a moment to twist, pressing her against the wall. He let his pants fall, kicking them aside with as little movement away from her hand as possible, shifting just to press against her again. His fingers traced over her hip, down the front of her leg, then back up to her waist. His other settled on the other side, and he lifted her a bit, bracing her between him and the wall, as he caught her lower lip lightly with his teeth.

It was almost impossible for her not to smile at his efforts, to barely smirk against the teasing motion against her bottom lip, but she managed as she felt her back press up a bit harder into the wall. The slight lift forced her shoulder to roll a bit against the wall as her leg hitched up against his hip, the sole of her foot curving against the back of his leg, feeling her hand rest between her thighs as she continued her efforts against him. Her mouth parted colliding with his fully, her other hand winding up to cradle against his jaw, her fingers sliding back until she could press her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to her kiss.

He kissed her back almost gently though there was an intentness to it that belied the lighter touches, lips moving over hers, tongue teasing at hers. His hips rocked still against her hand, even as he eased more fully between her legs. The shift of her leg he encouraged, lifting it more, fingers tracing the back of her thigh to her knee before sliding back down her leg to just brush with the barest of touches between her legs.

They'd barely gotten beyond the door and she had felt it was still too far of a distance to have gone. Now she could feel the heat from between her own thighs pressed to her wrist, and the temptation of him right there was almost too far away from her. That even if she had him within her he might still feel too far away from her and that thought scared her a bit. Pushing the thought away she nearly bit at his bottom lip when his finger ghosted against her. The thin fabric of her panties were still in the way and her mind was contemplating how if she had to take them off she'd have to move her leg and she didn't want to do that. Even now her other foot pressed up against toes trying to arch up and press her body against him more despite her own arm impeding her demands. Parting from his kiss, in a moment of pure want and need she made a choice in the moment, "Julian... rip them... I need you... and I'm not letting go..."

He pulled back just enough to study her for a second, before his lips curved slowly in something between a smirk and a smile. His fingers slowly slid under the fabric, dancing over her, before curling, bunching it in his hand, pressing his knuckles slowly against her in a not-quite-gentle caress. He held her eyes as he pulled, hearing and feeling the fabric rip out of his way, his cock twitching both at her touch and the leashed violence in the movement. She was so hot, so close, and all he wanted was to bury himself into her, forget about everything else for a while, remember all the reasons he was here. He leaned in to kiss her hungrily again, his hand sliding to tug hers away from him with a slight moan as he shifted, pressing against her seeking her entrance, then slowly sliding into her with a groan that slid out from his core.

The tug of fabric, and the pressure from his knuckles all gave way quickly along with the sensation of something against her heat, then all there was as her own wrist pressed to herself and her hand against him. She nearly trembled with the forethought of what was seconds away and as his hand tugged at hers, she met his kiss with such passion and lust. She knew how much she wanted him, how desperate she must have seemed pulling him into her home in this manner, but as she felt him press against her, that moment before he entered her she didn't even care. She had to part from his kiss to gasp outward, pulling the heated air into her lungs as he pushed into her. Rachel let her knee hitch up against his hip more, arching against him, her fingertips biting into the back of his neck while her other hand pulled against his shoulders.

One hand settled on her hip for balance, leverage, something to hold onto. The other buried in her hair, kiss meeting her passion as his lips moved against hers desperately. He slid all the way into her, then stilled, holding there, feeling her all around him. Her pulse and his seemed joined where their bodies met, merged. His fingers brushed over her hip, stroking lightly, smoothing over her skin. For a long moment, his lips and fingertips were the only things that moved, brushing over her skin. He finally broke the kiss just to trail his lips down her neck, teeth catching skin as he started to move, retreating then pressing into her again.

Rejoined with him, in body seemed to be enough in the moment. A kiss full of teeth and parting lips that teased against each others, despite tongues that knew the recesses of the other so well by now. She could feel her body cling to his inside and out. Her hands pressed flat to skin, waiting for him to shift, to move, to do anything and even when his hips rocked away from her to shift back into her she couldn't help but flutter eyes shut to keep the sensation, the feeling of him within her just to herself. To emblazon it to her memory etched with the remains of teeth catching across her neck and shoulder. She wanted to cry out, to tell him how amazing he feels within her, how she's full of want and lust of him, how if she hadn't pulled him in at the doorway she'd have been lost. Instead she's just a quiet pant of breath, and a shudder of a gasp that she knows could be more.

He moved, slowly at first, but finding a rhythm full of the longing of the days before, the heat and twisting feelings inside of him. She was all around him, and he was already sure she had imprinted herself somehow. For days he had wanted, in the triumph of the job, the planning of the next, the rush of adrenaline, and part of him wanted her there after, to celebrate still being alive, success, the ridiculous amount of cash transferred, just anything at all. He let it take him now, everything he'd done apart from her, and that he'd done it well, and here she was now, to share it however they could, even if never in words, details. There was experience, touch, bodies meeting and merging as he moved in her, letting the adrenaline pump through him again, a shuddering breath escaping on a moan.

As he built to a cadence he was comfortable with she found herself pressing against his motions, aiding his repetitions, letting her one foot still firmly placed aside his own on the hardwood floor keep her balance, and his grip at her thigh keeping her close. In ways she wanted to be even closer, but for the most part this was what she needed. The draw of him away from her and the feeling of him pushing back within her. She wanted it all, everything... in a moment she thought she wanted the bad too. To know what he'd been doing, even it meant keeping secrets... she already was harboring the fact that she was inviting him into her home... sleeping with him... aching for him... secrets were wrapping around her tightly, as tightly as she felt against his motions into her. Her hand slipped from his shoulder down his side to settle for a moment against his hip. Meeting his eyes for a moment she pressed a kiss to his mouth, chaste and soft. A pause for her that stilled the moan at the back of her throat, but as she felt her body tense against him she couldn't quiet the whimper of sound that came from her lips to push against his.

There were words pressing, words about beauty and longing and need that moved beyond lust into something even more visceral, more primal, but they escaped him now. Only she mattered, in the heat and the haze of the way they met and parted to meet again. The kiss was almost cooling, with it's simplicity, only it pulled things apart inside of him, too simple, too sweet, a sharp contrast to the way his fingers curved against her skin, nails biting in a bit for purchase. He wanted her to know where he was, where he'd been, burning himself across her as hard as she had seemed to burn into him. His hips moved smoothly, but underneath there was an unevenness in the gasp of breath, the way he had to search for air in ragged bursts that caught on moans in the back of his throat, the way her name finally tumbled out, reverent and soft, whispered against her lips.

Her own named tugged against her heart, pulling it into a place she didn't want it to go, a place she'd been guarding so desperately, a place he was never meant to even think to touch. The way he said it blurred out the lines that held her stance against falling for him in place. She had been so firm in believing that it was just need, the way he made her feel simply was built into the need she had just to be with someone. But the longing, the aching she had for him when he wasn't there was inching around in her head making itself more than just known but something she was thinking about. Now all she had was the echo of his words pressing to the back of her mind and the force of his hips splaying her thighs apart a bit further. The stagger of her own breath laced with mewls of pleasure that rose up in pitch with every thrust into her, and she wanted him to be her undoing, "Julian.." her words come soft at first barely even words until she can find her voice among the inhalations that stir sound from her. She wants to not need him like this, to not feel like this is something that it feels like it should be... because if that is what this is becoming... she's in way over her head. Her forehead presses to his shoulder before her mouth fits against the slope of his neck, teeth dragging against skin, upward until she can hover near his ear once more, "Harder.. I want you to make me come.." Her words near a low purr of a whisper still had the demanding edge to them.

The words set off an avalanche of feeling, ones he was more comfortable with, based in the body and needs and a masculine sort of need and a triumph to make her want, to make her react, to get that touch of almost begging in her voice. He complied, moving in to her harder, hips hooking with each thrust to press deeper into her. Pressing her more into the wall for leverage, he moved from the easy strokes he'd been working with to what could only be called taking her. He twisted, fingers dragging a bit at her hair to pull her lips back to his as he felt himself hurtle toward the precipice, pleasure rising in a swirling vortex of sensation where he didn't have to worry about where it was leading.

The shift was what she needed, to disconnect from everything and just feel the act in of itself. To discount the fact that she knew there was more beneath it all, but to just revel in the single act itself and the rawness she could display. The need and want she felt within her replaced with the physical and the sake of her demands being met. She asked and he granted, and her foot slipped up back to press her toes hard into the floor. The entire length of her body feeling that tension, that hurt of tightness that came with everything within her coiling up in wait. The kiss was teeth and parted lips dragging against each other, meeting between pants and groans of pleasure. Catching to the other before moans were stolen into the depths of their mouths. It was what she needed to feel, the near force of him pressing her to the wall harder, driving her to a point where he could simply push her over the edge and she'd fall so willingly. Her foot nearly dangled against his side, as her hip tried to lock in place to press her thigh to his hip hard. To hold tight to his body, to be still simply to feel how easily he moved into her, how rough the push of him into her could be, and how deep she could feel him within herself. All she wanted was to feel... to feel him find pleasure in her the way she found it so easily in him, "Come for me Julian..." her words pressed to his mouth as her hand slipped from his hip to brush between their bodies. Fingers curved against skin and beneath his cock, brushing lightly before cradling against him. She wanted to feel him release into her, to have that rush of warmth against her thighs for a moment before she joined him. "I want you to.. I want to feel you come... please," the word edged on begging, and she knew it but she didn't care.

Holding on, waiting, was fast becoming a struggle between will and want. Her fingers, her plea, her words were permission, and more than that, a plea. Not just you may, but will you, and he was pleased to give in. His hips moved in her, more staccato, shallower, faster, harder, broken thrusts of need for the final bit of friction, of heat from inside her, to send him flying over the edge. And then he was, pleasure coiling up inside of him, tight and taut, then releasing in a rush, along nerves with fire and into her with a soft cry.


Her hand pressed to his back, fingers splaying against heated skin, pulling him against her in that moment. Her hand beneath them, felt the slight tremble in his body before the release and even as she felt him spill into her she knew her own was too soon for her. She wanted to stay in this place of ever wanting it to end, of waiting for the relief but almost never having it. Instead those final thrusts of him into her, The ones that came at uneven pace, that pressed up against her and pushed hard to sensitive spots making her want of almost being there forever to be nearly impossible. Instead she felt her body tense up, the warmth of him pressing to her body and against where their bodies joined. As her fingers slipped against that slickness and heat, she let her fingers press to herself slightly, the simple contact and knowing what she'd given him pushed her own climax against her. The contraction of her body around him, the pull of her hand quickly to tug him closer to herself as she came felt instinctual. To have him nearer to her, against her so that she could feel that pressure, that weight against herself as she trembled with pleasure.


His legs were trembling a bit from the force of his release as hers seemed to wash over him as well. Each contraction of her body sent another spark of pleasure along his sensitized nerves. His arm slid around her waist, his other hand bracing on the wall as he worked to keep them both upright. His lips drifted down the column of her throat to press light kisses at the join of her shoulder and neck, nuzzling into her. He could smell the mingled scents of them and sex, and as need eased back to something warmer and more gentle, he found his breath again, still ragged but starting to at least feel like it was making its way into his lungs once more. He smiled against her skin, thinking how very long it had been since he'd gotten a welcome quite like that. "So," he asked, voice low and amused. "How was your week?"

Rachel let her toes flex against the floor, assuring herself the footing she had as she let her other foot slide down against the back of his calf, easing herself just so she could stand of her own will. Her hip ached with a dull twinge that she actually preferred to feel. Pain that was from something other than being thrown into a wall, or over the edge of a building, or onto pavement was always an upside to her life. Her hand brushed her hair away from her face lightly before letting her fingers slide against the back of his neck. Taking in a deep breath finally letting her body stop searching for air, she smiled biting her bottom lip holding back a bit of laughter. Her head tipped aside to lean against his so close to her skin, "I'm searching for a word that isn't boring, but compared to this? It was boring."

He chuckled, flashing her a rare grin before easing back from her just a bit. His fingers trailed down over her cheek to her neck, then down over her shoulder and along the length of her arm to tangle with hers. Stepping back he tugged her with him, moving toward the sofa from memory. He stopped half way to steal a lingering kiss, his other hand burying in her hair. "I'm sorry you had a boring week...."

Taking his lead a bit she moved away from the wall, out of the hallway, but a glance over her shoulder and a cursory thought to the direction that he was leading. The pause between where they'd been and where they were headed was good. Grounding her for a moment to think as his lips brushed to hers, pulling her in for another kiss that nearly derailed her thoughts once more. She leaned back a bit into the touch of his fingers in her hair smiling at his remark, "Oh you know, it's the usual international networking and espionage sort of thing." Leaning toward him she pressed close to his body, "Not that I'm trying to get us into anymore trouble than apparently we're causing, but I actually wouldn't mind kidnapping you into the shower with me, because while sitting on my couch naked could be fun?" She didn't even want to finish the statement because honestly describing the current state of their bodies was beyond her mental capacity.

He ghosted his hands over her skin, down her back, feeling the lines of muscle and bone. Massaging lightly, he smirked slightly. "Oh, yes. That sort of a week. Deadly dull, usually..." A shower actually sounded heavenly, after traveling all day, never mind their recent activities, so he shifted direction toward her room and the shower. "Kidnapping is it?" he murmured. "I'm not sure that's the word for it when I'm very willing...."

Rachel smiled, softly shaking her head at his remarks about going willingly as her hand laced against the back of his head lightly. Pressing a kiss to his temple as she turned with him toward her room. Twisting around a bit she allowed her hand to slip from his shoulder to lace her hand to his a bit tugging him the rest of the way toward the bedroom where her bathroom was adjoined to. Her hand flipped on light switches in the bedroom and then the small light in the bathroom in turn. Slipping free from him she moved about her bathroom fetching towels to set on the counter and then twisted the faucet to start the water running, pulling the lever so that it forced through the shower head instead of the faucet. Leaning against the wall beside the shower she let her hand skim under the water feeling it regulate as she reached out for him, tugging him back to her side. A now wet hand pressed into his hair tugging him down for her to kiss him again fully as the bathroom began to fill with a warm push of air from the shower.

He followed her eagerly, leaning against the door frame and watched her getting everything ready with a soft smile playing on his lips. He followed the lines of her body with his eyes as if he was touching her, and then she reached out for him and he was again. His lips clung to hers, letting the damp air and the touch of her body to his raise his temperature again. Carefully, easily, he stepped into the shower, tugging her with him and slid the door closed behind them. The heated water didn't do anything for the flush of his skin, but it felt good nonetheless sliding down over his skin. He could taste them, the two of them, in the water that slid into the kiss and he pulled her closer still to fit her flush against him.

Her arms spindled up against his shoulders, elbows trying to rest atop them as her hands filtered into his hair haphazardly. The water flooding into her mouth between breaths to be expelled easily as she tipped her head away from him. Letting her head fall back to rush water through her hair and down her back, feeling the slight burn across her skin. Pressed against her, the feeling of how he fit to her, and the water that ran between their bodies and across shoulders, she just stood there letting it all wash over her. Her arms slipped from his shoulders to allow hands to rest on his chest, her eyes meeting his and not having any words left in her to give meaning to what she should be more afraid of.

He looked back at her steadily, fingers slowly stroking up and down her back, keeping her close to him, finding it nearly impossible to let more air between them than possible. The water kept washing over them, cascading over their skin, slipping between them or diverting over as best it could. His hands finally settled on her lower back, resting just against the curve of her ass. He wanted to say something, but words seemed to escape him as he looked at her, hair all wet, and felt her skin along every inch of his. She was beautiful, and it made parts of him ache, wanting something he couldn't figure out how to enunciate.

Keeping his gaze almost frustrated her in a way, because she couldn't figure out what he was thinking, or if she should say something. Instead she had to break away from his gaze, turning herself around in his light grasp, letting her back press to his chest, letting the water run across her face and down her body. She could feel his hands pressing to her stomach and her hips, and each breath she took in arched her back against his chest more. Rachel let her hands brush over his lightly reaching behind herself to graze against his hips and let herself lean back against him, her head tipping back slightly just enough to feel his mouth press atop her head. If she shut her eyes all she could hear was the water hitting the bottom of the shower and falling to the drain and the sound of him breathing. Forcing herself out of the slight haze of being around him she shifted forward a bit, letting her hands leave his sides and move beneath the water. Letting it rush over her face and into her mouth as she pushed her hair out of her eyes. Turning around she smiled at him, pressing a kiss to his lips quickly before slipping alongside him, to stand behind him, letting her hands tease into his hair while the water ran across him. She let her mouth press to his neck casually hoping to not allow herself to become distracted once more.

He moved under the water, tilting his face up to it, closing his eyes and letting it pound down against his skin for a moment. He wished it could wash away the confusion that her softer touches left floating through him. She was warm and the water was warmer, and both of them were against his skin. He dipped his head under the water, feeling her fingers and lips, and his own curved in a smile. "Fifteen hours of traveling...this feels good. All of it..." The shower, the sex, the small kisses, just being with her again.

She let the actual time frame slip past her without pausing to think about it. If she did, if she let herself wonder she'd be forced to ask and she wasn't ready to ask anything of him yet. So instead she smiled against his skin lips parting enough to playfully nip at his shoulder, "You should remember this, Rachel Gibson the best cure for jet lag and travel woes."

He chuckled bending his head more to let the water hit the muscles in his neck, then sliding his hands over his face, brushing away water before glancing back at her. "Well, the jet lag remains to be seen," he pointed out teasingly. "But I think we're off to an excellent start with curing the travel woes..." He turned to face her again, hands sliding up to frame her face lightly as his thumbs pushed her hair back and smoothed it behind her ears. "I haven't even gotten a hotel yet, just grabbed the car..." There was a question there, carefully couched in a statement of fact. Whether she wanted him to stay for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, or the weekend, and part of him thought that if this was just...this, he should leave after the shower, shouldn't he? Except curling up with her naked, mapping her skin with his fingers, watching some pointless, brainless movie and mocking it or something similar sounded far too appealing.

Rachel leaned forward brushing a kiss to his mouth, still smirking at his comments. Nodding along with his words still close to his lips, "You should stay." It wasn't an offer or a question, it was a suggestion. She tried to word it carefully, so that it wasn't her asking him to stay it was her merely saying that if he did it wouldn't be the end of the world. "Besides, all your clothes are either in your car or on the floor of my front hallway. Clearly been worn for fifteen hours as well."

"That would be the logical solution," he agreed, closing that distance to brush a kiss over her lips, and glad they'd settled it without some sort of deeper conversation. He could always check into a hotel the next day, if need be. Or leave town again. Or keep her in bed for the next couple of days until it didn't matter what time it was for the jet lag, because time didn't matter when they slept, just exhaustion.

Smirking against his kiss she nodded, "I tend to be the logical one. It helps most of the time." Her hand brushed past his waist reaching for the handle and coming up short. Parting from his mouth she moved around him again twisting the faucet and letting her toes run beneath the flood of water that came to the faucet. Sliding the door open a bit she leaned into the warm humidity of her bathroom for the towels pulling them close to her chest for a moment as she regained her balance and handed one to him. Leaning forward once more she kissed him a bit more lingering before pulling away to step out of the shower stall and onto the tile as she pulled her towel taut across her body letting her hair drop water down her back.

He took the towel, drying off his torso efficiently, then wrapping the towel around his waist. Moving behind her, he ducked his head to press a kiss to her shoulder, tongue lightly flicking out to taste a droplet of water that hung there. His lips parted on her skin, lingering there for a moment before he finished the move with just a kiss, moving a bit away again. He wanted to comment about her logical nature and what exactly she was doing letting him near her, let alone inviting him to stay, but that might shock her out of whatever madness had gripped her, and he was rather enjoying it right now. "Well, in this case, then, I'm grateful for that logical attitude."

Gripping her hair in her hands she wrung it a bit over the bathroom sink regarding him over her shoulder with a smile before letting her hair go and fall back across her shoulders in sections. She caught a glimpse of him looking at her in the mirror and she pushed that away as she moved back over toward him. "So do I get to keep you in the towel for the rest of the evening?" She teased lightly tucking her finger daringly into the fold of the towel across his waist. "Because I have clothing I could put on..." Which wasn't exactly required of her but she knew she at least had options.

"The towel or nothing unless I fetch my bag from the car," he said, glancing down at her finger in the towel before lifting his eyes back to her. His hair was a tousled mess, he was sure, and really just a towel or nothing either one was going to get chilly unless they were under blankets, but he refrained from pointing the practical part out. He smirked a little, his fingers trailing down from her shoulder to her towel. "Personally, I prefer nothing. For both of us."

Arching an eyebrow she glanced down to his hand then back up to his eyes, her hand grazing across his chest and up toward his neck. Resting at the curve of his shoulder for a moment before she threaded it back into his hair, letting her fingers run through it, tugging a bit into it as she pressed up closer to him. She avoided the topic of her getting the bag for him. The fact alone that she'd be given access to his car, and his personal belongings wasn't really something she wanted to approach. She still let her hand linger in his hair, the warm dampness to it under her fingers was almost calming in a way. "Nothing could get cold once we move out of the bathroom you know."

"And once again practicality steps in the way of romance," he murmured with a small smile. He closed his briefly at the feel of her fingers in his hair, leaning into the touch, the tug. Opening his eyes he smiled at her ruefully. "So, I suppose a towel or...something would be necessary. If we moved out of the bedroom, which, really, we could skip that and just stay in."

Slipping her fingers down through his hair gently pressing into the nape of his neck she leaned in to kiss him. Her free hand wrapped across his shoulders keeping him close to her as her lips parted against his, kissing him fully and deeply. Even though she wasn't going to point it out to him, she did hear him say romance, and for that single moment she had a bit of hope that she wasn't the only one so lost in what she should be doing, other than not thinking of romance and him. The kiss lingered and pulled at her a bit more than she had expected, but really if she thought that she was cheating this somehow she was being foolish and maybe she knew that too. Finally parting from his mouth she leaned back enough to meet his eyes, wanting to ask him why he'd even want to stay... why he wasn't simply redressing and walking out the door. Brushing her lips to his softly she nearly held her breath, "You said romance," she murmured against his mouth.

He froze a little bit, eyes widening before he forced them closed and returned the kiss. His fingers slid down her arm to wind through her fingers. The word had just slipped out, just like thoughts of her had in Paris, and in Cairo, both, where he wanted to share the evening with her, a bottle of wine, a candlelit dinner, a sunset. He always indulged, taking in the pleasures of the cities he visited, living that life, and the fact that he'd wanted to turn to her with a comment now and again was disturbing. And now the word was out there. He could snark, say something like that fucking was too crass, brush it off. He couldn't admit any of it, of course. And couldn't bring the crass comment to his lips. Instead he brought her fingers up, breaking the kiss from her lips and transferring it to her fingers. "So I did," he murmured back, peeking at her with a small smile.

Rachel felt his body tense just slightly against her own at her question, almost immediately wanting to bite back the words, but when his reply came she felt relief at it. Not a denial, or even an explanation, but just something to make it known between them. It was subtle touches and a press of his lips to her fingers and it was romance... despite how it started with a tug of him against her forcefully. Her expression softened a bit at the gesture, her free hand moving back across to brush lightly across the nape of his neck, not even sure of what to do. She wanted to push the air out of the room just so she'd have to breathe again, and even that wasn't a sure thing in her mind. The sure thing was the tug of her towel across her chest, and the warmth of his breath against her fingers, of which she slowly slipped her grasp free from. Almost as if thinking about the touch had given her enough to be worried about. So she returned to what she knew, with a smirk of a smile and a slide of her hand down his spine a bit to splay fingers between shoulders, "So the plan is staying in bed the rest of the evening, and then not leaving unless we need to?"

He breathed more easily that she let it go, didn't press for answers when he didn't have any. He wanted to have them to give her, wanted to know what was going on in his own head, and in hers, and just how much madness this really was, but right now he simply didn't know. What he did know was that he wanted her, against him, under him, over him, in his arms, sleeping curled up close to him. Something sure, and steady, like their hearts beating together. And even that thought made his speed up with something like panic, so he returned the smirk instead. His hands slid down over her shoulders, then over the towel, half tugging it, wanting it to fall, to bare her before him again. After the hurried, intense coupling by the door, he wanted to take his time, taste her, find out what little things she liked, the way she reacted when he touched, tasted, teased. "I think that sounds like the best plan I've heard in years," he murmured, ducking his head to kiss her, very slowly but thoroughly.

Her eyes shut as she drew in a breath as he kissed her. Her body pulling in the air, and the scent of him and the feel of his hands brushing across her skin. The slight tug against the tucked part of her towel and the kiss that was still pressing to her mouth, still making her heart nearly stop. Which of course would be bad. Bad with the not breathing and not beating of her heart, but she was well aware of the beating as it felt so loud in her own ears. Breaking from the kiss she inched away from him slightly, slipping her hands away from the warmth of skin and the planes of muscle and to the tuck of terry clothe that came so easily apart in her hands. Her hair now mostly dry at the ends brushed against her back as the heavy sound of the towel crumpling at her feet hit her ears. Silently she regarded him with a simple kiss as her hand skimmed across his chest before she moved from the warmth of the bathroom into the chill of her bedroom to climb atop her bed. Her arm pressed beneath her head, laying atop the comforter and meeting his gaze from across the room before sliding her other hand off her hip and against the bed to beckon him toward her.

He moved to follow her, then leaned in the doorway watching her move, tracking her across the room. His eyes followed the sway of her hips, the line of her back, the curve of her ass. The way she stretched out on the bed, like she was there, on display, only for his eyes made his pulse speed up, breath catching. The chill of the bedroom barely penetrated his awareness as he slowly undid his towel and let his drop. Not answering that small beckoning motion of her finger wasn't even an option. He slowly moved across the room until he could stand there, looking down at her. Letting one knee rest on the bed, he studied her for a moment, then stretched out next to her. Reaching for her, he settled his hand on her hip, feeling the warmth that lingered from the shower as he bent his head to kiss her again.

The bed shifted slightly beneath the weight of his knee, pressing into the mattress as he moved closer to her. The chill of the room settling against her skin was something she was almost used to at this point. It felt comfortable, as did the weight of his hand resting against her hip. The kiss was a welcome one, as she shifted onto her back easily pulling him even closer to her as he lay beside her. She curled up slightly against him, "Okay... you can completely get on my case for cuddling this time. I just like the whole you close to me thing right now."

His hand brushed over the line of her hip, his palm resting on her skin as he settled against her. Smiling a little bit, he propped himself up on his elbow, head on his hand as he studied her. The light played over her skin, throwing her body into curves, highlights and shadows. His eyes met hers again and he smiled, looking down at her. "Perhaps we should just let the cuddling debate go...because I'm a bit fond of being close to you right now as well."

Sighing a bit over dramatically she thought it over, "Let the debate go? Julian, that is quite a bold request there. I'll have to think about it." Though she knew really it was splitting hairs on some level, and only striking at the less than serious tones that she was clearly avoiding. Still Rachel let her fingers trace lightly across his arm, fingertips tracing the thinnest lines across skin. Leaning in she kissed his shoulder softly, the warmth still present there against his skin from the heat of the shower. Exhaling lightly she let her head shift against her arm looking up at him a bit, "Okay I'm letting the debate go. I thought about it, and I'd say we're tied on that front so we should call a truce."

"A truce it is then," he agreed with alacrity. He let his arm drop down on the bed, head falling and settling just on his arm. He was close to her, almost nose to nose with a small smile tugging his lips. The hand on her hip slid up to stroke over her ribs, then twisted his hand a bit to cup her breast, palm resting against the underside for a moment before sliding back down to her hip.

Rachel glanced down to his hand, smirking a bit as she asked, "What was that?" Her eyes met his with a bit of curiosity, "Having issues committing to fondling my breast? Because by all means you should feel free to."

He chuckled, hand stroking back up, then back down. "No issues, love, just a desire to fondle you all over, explore every inch of your skin, not just such an obvious, however delightful, choice."

Smirking at him she let her features soften into a smile, "Oh..." which came out probably not as she intended, but she was sort of taken aback by the actual honesty that came with the remark. To which she of course had no reply to except to lean over and kiss him. It seemed the obvious reaction to almost every honest moment they seemed to have. Simply deflect away with something physical that she could understand and explain easily. Pulling back from the kiss she met his eyes, "There is five foot ten of me, that's a lot of inches."

He smiled against her lips, letting his linger there for a long moment before lifting his head and smiling at her again, more relaxed than he had been in a long time. Letting his eyes roam over her again, he met hers after a long moment. "I think I'm up for the challenge," he said solemnly.

Rachel let her eyes shut slowly, letting that press of his mouth to hers nearly take her breath away, which wasn't too difficult to do since she was lying on her side taking in shallow ones to start. Still she couldn't help but smirk lightly at the manner of which he replied to her remark, because he sounded so serious. Leaning in once more she pressed her mouth to his chest, curving in closer to his body, letting her leg slip between his for a moment, "It sounds like a great effort on your half, but before round two, I think I should rest up. Or something?" Her hand skimmed against his chest lightly as she curled against him even more, "See I could just take a tiny nap right here, you'd barely notice."

He felt a small smile tugging at his lips, warm and almost what could be termed affectionate. He slid his arms more tightly around her, fingers trailing lightly down her spine, then back up again. Shifting so he really was cradling her against him, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. It was warm, she was warm, and his whole body felt like tension was uncoiling that he'd been holding in for days. "I think I'd notice," he murmured. "Unless I joined you in the tiny nap taking..."

That had to draw more than just a light laugh from her. She buried in against his chest and a bit into her own hair, "Okay I think I can get away with saying tiny nap taking, but really you aren't allowed to repeat that because it takes your ruthless down to at least a negative twelve." Still she didn't mind it, and even more than that she actually appreciated it, that almost honest moment that they could have that was so soft and unexpected. Sighing as her laughter faded she shut her eyes lightly, "Well this plan does involve the entire weekend and so I figure sleeping should happen in some parts, I think I was just trying to at least allow myself enough time to recoup from the first event."

He made a face at the laughter, though it echoed in his eyes. "Perhaps that's part of my plan," he protested. "Disarming, causing underestimation...." He twisted his lips a bit into a slight pout she couldn't see, but settled more into the bed. He had been traveling for fifteen hours, after all, and while he'd slept some on the plane and would never admit to being tired, drifting for a bit, just holding her, or even sleeping, just a tiny amount, wouldn't be unwelcome. "I am not so demanding that I'd deny you a chance to recoup..."

"Hmm," she started as she pulled away from him and sat up on the bed. She drew her legs up a bit as she grabbed the pillow off her bed and pushed it at him but still held onto it. Pressing it to her chest she moved off the bed, clinging to the pillow as her chin rested into the end of it, "So I can nap and you can sleep because you can't expect me to believe that you actually enjoy traveling for fifteen hours?" Tilting her head aside a bit into the pillow she nodded at the bed, "Pick a side."

He watched her for a few seconds, then smiled, reaching out to trace a finger down her cheek for a moment. Without much thought, he shifted and chose the left side of the bed, easing back the covers. "Does anyone enjoy traveling that long? Even in first class, there's still layovers and delays and bad airport food..." He finally gave a relenting smile and acknowledged, "I could sleep for a bit, happily, yes."

Easing back onto the bed Rachel shifted beneath the covers, still clinging to the pillow the was no doubt hers in her mind. Settling it behind her she laid back down, curling her hand beneath it as she faced him lying beside her. It was different, and sure it was what they had suddenly decided, but it felt so normal that she was almost worried to trust reality for the moment. Pushing it away she inched closer to him, wrapping her arm around him and resting her head against his chest once more, "See at least we're settled on the whole rest thing. No snoring."

He slid his arms around her with a small smile, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I do not snore," he protested. He didn't want to think how right she felt against him, how comfortable it was to hold her. Letting his fingers stroke through her hair gently, he closed his eyes, snuggling down a bit more. "Don't let me sleep too long..."

Nodding against him she mumbled something that could've been an acknowledgment of the not sleeping too long, or that she was just making sure he knew not to snore, but either way she could feel her body relaxing. Sinking into the bed, and into his arms as if the two things weren't exactly different at all, and something she just was meant to do. Sighing against his chest she shut her eyes and just rested there as she listened for him to fall asleep, not really sure if she'd be asleep before him or not, and not really caring either.