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In the bedroom you'll also find a box of matches and several candles. There's nothing like a little mood lighting. Light them and scatter them around the room.

Finally, on the bed is an item I believe you will remember fondly. After you've removed everything else you're wearing, put it on and then wait for me on the bed lying face down.

I'll see you soon.

-S

I found myself biting my lip as I read, my skin already prickling with heat. The scene he described was basically the epitome of romance, but the heavy, commanding tone with which he wrote was unmistakable. There was more afoot here than was immediately obvious. It had been a while since one of his letters, long enough to make me heady with anticipation.

After ducking quickly to the freezer, I made a beeline for the bedroom, already suspecting that I knew what I'd find. I wasn't let down. If I'd had any doubts that tonight would be more kinky than our recent sessions, they vanished the moment my eyes fell on the bed. Lying on the quilt was the blindfold Sebastian had originally left for me in the hotel several months ago. Just thinking about that night sent something warm surging between my legs. The sting of his hand, the bite of the rope; that had been the night when everything changed. I'd gone in one woman and come out another.

Placing the champagne inside the bucket I buried it in ice, then lit the candles and dimmed the light. I had to admit, the scene did look incredibly romantic. After stripping, I knelt on the bed and wrapped the black silk around my head, knotting it firmly at the back. Last time I'd been hesitant, even a little frightened, but now could barely contain my excitement. Sebastian had taught me well the pleasure of sensory deprivation.

For a while I lay, enjoying the silence as anticipation rose inside me. I knew the wait was part of the experience. My wandering mind was winding me up as effectively as any foreplay. Would it be another spanking? More restraint? Or did he have other tricks up his sleeve?

It could have been fifteen minutes or an hour, I'm not sure, but eventually, I heard the tell-tale click of the front door unlocking. My body tensed. I assumed he'd come straight to me, but everything remained silent. I realised I'd left the bedroom door open and the floors here were carpeted, meaning I'd have no indication when he finally arrived. He could have been in the room at that very moment.

I squirmed a little, as some strange amalgamation of discomfort and desire lodged itself in my stomach. That was one of my favourite parts of discovering my submissive side; the realisation that other emotions besides arousal could be a turn on too. I felt more in tune with myself than ever before.

It doesn't matter if he's here yet or not. He told me to wait, and so wait I will. He'll come when he's ready.

I held my position.

CHAPTER NINE

Sebastian

She flinched a little when I entered, although I hadn't made a sound. Perhaps some subtle shift in the air had given me away. Or perhaps she simply knew me too well. Regardless, she continued to lie still and silent.

I had no idea how she'd become such an amazing sub in such a short time. We hadn't delved into anything too kinky for a while, but seeing her like that made me desperate to do it more. There's something so erotic about coming home to a girl presenting herself for you, exactly as you instructed. She'd followed my directions to the letter: the champagne was chilling, the candles were lit, and the blindfold was in place.

I spent a few moments just taking in the sight of her. She was absolutely stunning; her hair was splayed out across her back like a chestnut river, her creamy skin bathed in candle light. I'd never seen a woman with a more gorgeous figure; perfectly proportioned curves but not an ounce more fat than necessary. Just being near her naked body had my blood rushing in my veins.

She didn't even jump when I spoke. "Well, isn't this romantic."

She gave a little laugh. "Is it? You'll have to fill me in. I'm having a little trouble seeing right now." It was funny, although my comment had been fairly innocuous, there was something different about her voice. It was softer, more compliant. The change occurred whenever we made love, whether there was kink involved or not. I don't even think she realised it was happening, as though she simply slipped from one persona to the other, automatically. I was amazed she'd never realised her predilection before. She was a natural.

I walked over and dragged a hand gently down her back. So soft, like stroking silk. She trembled a little, but otherwise didn't move.

"I have something special planned tonight," I said. "Something new."

"I suspected as much," she replied. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me what it is, though?"

I chuckled. "Now where would be the fun in that?"

I moved over to the dresser and withdrew a bottle I'd stashed there earlier. "Have I told you how gorgeous you are today?" I asked.

Her lips quirked up. "Not in at least ten hours."

"Then I have been remiss," I replied, moving closer. "I have to admit, I've been thinking about this all day. I could barely wait to get my hands on this body again."

"Your hands have been on this body a lot lately."

I slipped onto the bed and straddled her legs. "Not like this," I replied, popping the cap and squeezing a large drop of massage oil onto her back.

She twitched and let out a little noise of surprise, but it quickly morphed into a groan as my hands began to work across her skin. "God, a girl could get used to this after work."

She wasn't the only one enjoying herself. The sight of her skin, slick and shining, was like a shot of testosterone straight to my veins, and she felt magnificent between my fingers. I kneaded my way slowly up and down her back, paying attention to each individual muscle. In my younger days, in a spontaneous attempt to impress a woman, I'd taken a massage class, and while I was a little rusty, with a little trial and error I found the sort of pressure and pace Sophia liked. More than a few areas felt tight, so I spent extra time on them, enjoying the sensation of her gradually melting beneath me.

The lower I moved down her body, the deeper her noises became, the mood gradually shifting from sensual to ***ual. Applying more oil I began working the firm globes of her ass slowly, occasionally dipping close to her *** but taking pains not to actually make contact. She shifted, letting out several little whimpers, but didn't voice any objection. Seeing that restraint got me so ridiculously hard. Only a month ago, she'd already be begging for me to touch her there. She'd beg eventually, I'd make sure of it, but the fact that she held back now showed how far her self-control had come.

I had no doubt that she knew there was more to the evening than a simple massage — we'd been together long enough for my surprises to be truly unexpected anymore — but I was still looking forward to what came next. I love that sense of unpredictability, of taking my partner into unknown territory. The uncertainty of it heightens everything. I could almost feel the anticipation vibrating through her body.

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"You have magic hands," she said, when I finally pulled them away.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the warm up."

She paused. "Warm up for what?" Her voice was breathy, with the barest current of trepidation flowing through it. So ****ing ***y.

Rather than answer, I leaned across to the side table and scooped up one of the candles. "Do you trust me?" I asked.

There was no hesitation this time. "Yes." After everything that had happened in the last few weeks, it was amazing to hear such certainty. I had no idea where she found the strength to forgive me, let alone trust me again. That trust was the most important thing in the world to me now, and I'd die before I breached it again.

"Good. I want you to extend your arms and press your palms against the headboard. I'm not going to bind you this time. It will be up to you to restrain yourself. If your hands move before I say so, there will be consequences. Understand?"

She nodded.

"Okay, this will be hot."

And before she had a chance to speak, I tilted the candle slightly, sending a small glob of wax tumbling onto the small of her back. Her body arched and she let out a short cry.

"Too hot?" I asked.

She assessed for a few seconds. "No, just unexpected." She let out a little laugh. "Is that wax?"

"Yes."

"I was wracking my brains trying to work out what you might do, but I didn't even consider the candles."

I grinned. "That was the plan."

"Well, it feels good," she said, as I poured again. Gradually, I worked my way across her body, varying the height and size of the drops to create different temperatures. There was something so artful about the act of covering her like that, the redness of the wax in stark contrast to the whiteness of her flesh. And the way she reacted, the little sighs and tremors that passed through her as the liquid hardened against her skin, had me aroused nearly to the point of pain. At the angle she was lying, I could see the lips of her *****, nestled tantalisingly between those perfect cheeks, and in my head I was already playing through what it would be like when I was finally inside her. That divine warmth and maddening softness, the way her body would tremble and her voice would break as I took her, forcing her towards climax.

I began using my free hand to shape the wax, dragging my fingers through it, enjoying the heat and the sensation of her skin. She seemed to like that a lot. Soon, the whole bottom half of her back was a vibrant haphazard crosshatching of crimson.

"You must be making quite a mess back there," she said.

"You look beautiful," I replied. "But we're just getting started."

Setting the candle down and climbing free of her, I stepped over to the dresser and scooped up the champagne holder. Now that she was clued in to the game, she understood almost immediately.

"Oh god," she said, as I straddled her once more. Leaning down, I brushed a kiss softly against the back of her neck while reaching into the bucket.

"Now this, this will be cold."

She was trembling before I even touched her, but that first moment was like electricity, her body convulsing as I pressed the ice cube against her. Watching intensely for any sign of real discomfort, I began to trace the cube down her spine. She continued to wriggle, her breath hitching, but the noises slipping from her mouth were those of pleasure. Being a dom is always a bit like walking a tight rope; you're constantly pushing your partner's limits, trying new things, and it can be incredibly easy to accidentally slip across the murky line between enjoyment and genuine distress. Temperature play, in particular, is a sensitive activity, but Sophia appeared to be loving it.

The ice melted quickly, her body still radiating residual heat, so I took another piece and repeated the path, this time trailing my tongue behind on her chilled skin.

She let out a long sigh.

"You like that?"

She nodded. "The contrast is amazing. Keep going."

And so I did, slowly traversing the still clean portions of her body, savouring the taste of her, the texture of her skin, the feminine scent that filled my nostrils until she dominated my senses.

"Let's try both together," I said.

Her sounds grew louder as I began to alternate hot and cold, stroking with ice then chasing with wax. When the cube was nearly melted down I let it sit in place and tipped the candle directly over it, sending a stream of icy water swirled with crimson heat flowing down her side.

Now that she was in the zone, it was time for the main event. Stashing the candle again I took another cube, this time focusing on her ass. Slowly I circled each cheek, making no effort to ease the chill. The skin down there is more sensitive, and she shivered and twitched at my touch. Soon her entire ass was slick and goose pimpled.

"Should I go lower?" I asked.

"Yes," she breathed.

She inhaled sharply as I slipped my hand between her cheeks, rolling the tiny nub of ice softly around the puckered rosette inside.

"Jesus Christ."

"I still want to **** you here you know," I said, slipping one chilled finger just half an inch inside her, drawing a short gasp from her lips. "Maybe tonight?" I left the question hanging in the air. I already knew it wouldn't be now. I'd have her there eventually — I intended to have all of her, everything she could give — but not tonight. Of course, that didn't mean I couldn't plant the seed, make her wonder.

I slipped the ice lower still. Parting her legs, I stroked it gently across her inner thighs, gradually working my way towards her *****. She was incredibly turned on by this point. The scent of her excitement filled the air, and her lips were glistening despite the fact that I'd yet to use the ice there. I desperately wanted to slip my finger into that softness, to bury my tongue in it and lick her until she couldn't even speak, but I restrained myself. I found the act of forcing self-control extremely exciting. Waiting now meant more pleasure for both of us later. That said, I'd never found waiting so difficult as when I had her in front of me.

Every time my hand drifted closer to her ***, her hips bucked a little more wildly.

"Do you want me to touch you?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied, no longer making any effort to disguise the desire in her voice.

"You'll have to do better than that."

"Please, Sebastian, please touch my clit."

I poised my hand above the entrance to her ***, my fingers splayed around it, the ice pressed just above her entrance. I love the rush of power I feel at moments like that. For me, kink has never been about the pain or the taboo, it's about power and intimacy. This beautiful woman had given herself over to me. She'd put her pleasure entirely in my hands. Nothing is more intimate than that.

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"You have done very well," I said, brushing the ice ever so gently along her slit. "But there's one more thing I want to do first."

She let out a groan of disappointment, but it quickly cut off as I began cupping and kneading her ass. God, it was so firm, so perfect. I could have played with just that part of her for hours. But I didn't want to lose the effect of what I'd just done. Her skin was still icy and wet, and it made a delicious cracking noise as I slapped my palm gently against it.

Instantly her body tensed. She knew what that symbolised, and although I'd spanked her once before, it was some time ago. I didn't blame her for being a little fearful.

"But I kept my hands exactly where you told me to!" she said.

I laughed. There was still plenty of vanilla in her. "I know. This isn't a punishment. It's a reward." I leaned in close, stroking her skin tenderly. "Remember how much you enjoyed being spanked last time? Remember how wet it made you?"

She swallowed loudly, her cheeks flushing pink, but after a few seconds she nodded.

"Good. You can lift up your hands now and get onto your knees."

She did as I asked, the smallest tremor evident in her movements. Sliding in next to her, I wrapped my hands around her hips and lifted her over my lap until she lay, bent over my knees, across the bed.

I took a moment to admire her in that position. I could feel the heat of her arousal radiating onto my thigh. She was so ***y and so strong, yet she allowed herself to be so vulnerable. It was one of the most erotic things I'd ever seen. "Wonderful. Are you ready?"

She drew a long breath, then nodded.

"Say it."

"I'm ready to be spanked." It was barely more than a whisper.

Those words were music to my ears. "Okay."

And without further ado, I pulled my hand away and brought it whipping back against her left cheek. The crack was much louder this time, ringing throughout the room. She bit back a cry.

"It will sting more this time because of the cold," I told her, pausing to admire the small red circle that was blooming on her skin. "That's part of the fun of temperature play, it sets all your nerves into overdrive."

I started softly, easing her into it, alternating from side to side and soothing each cheek with a gentle rub before continuing. I kept my pace uneven, never pausing the same amount of times between blows, never allowing her to develop a rhythm. With the blindfold on, she was constantly guessing.

Her body flinched with every blow, her breath coming short and sharp, but the pitch of her cries and the quirk of her mouth told me all I needed to know.

"Are you enjoying that?" I asked, landing a slightly harder slap.

"Yes," she replied, her voice thick with lust.

"Shall I smack you harder?"

She nodded quickly, now utterly shameless.

My next blow was stronger, and she yelped as it landed, driving her crotch into my leg and sending a pulse of pleasure shooting through my own body as she pressed against my ****.

I sped up, losing myself in the moment. With every blow she grew more excited, and that in turn stoked my own arousal. There's something intoxicating about the connection I feel during a scene like that. The trust, the sensuality, the vortex of sensations; it's a potent ****tail.

Soon, her entire ass was rosy and glowing. I paused, parting her cheeks with my hand, mesmerised by the wetness between. Unable to resist, I punctuated my next smack by slipping a finger from my free hand inside her. She let out a long moan, a sound of pure animal pleasure, as all her muscles clenched tight around me.

"Christ, look how turned on you are," I said.

She writhed beneath me as I explored her, revelling in the way her body hummed as I stroked her G-spot. I'd been with a lot of other women, but none looked so perfectly alluring in their pleasure as she did. Something about her just sent all of my blood rushing south.

Slipping my finger free, I left it poised against her entrance, and then smacked her again. "Do you think I should keep going?"

"Please," she replied, sounding almost pained.

Stroking the outside of her *** softly, I leaned down close to her head, planting a slow kiss below her ear, letting her answer hang in the air just long enough to make her unsure.

Then, when the quick little breaths falling from her lips reached fever pitch, I whispered in her ear, "Okay," and plunged back in. Her whole body stiffened as I found that soft pad once more, savouring the way each tiny touch echoed through her. At the same time, I resumed spanking, trying to weave that pain in time with her pleasure.

The combination was nearly too much for her. In less than a minute her cries reached their crescendo.

"Are you ready to come for me?" I asked her.

"Oh God, yes!"

"Then do it."

And a few seconds later, her whole body stiffened. The sight of her, those trembling muscles and that perfectly flushed skin, was nearly enough to make me come too. I never tired of doing that to her. I could have watched her come all day.

When the room was finally quiet again, save for her little sighs of satisfaction, I lifted her off my knees and onto the bed and reached for my belt. The time for restraint was over.

In a matter of seconds I was naked and straddling her prone form. She said nothing, simply arching her ass up towards me and propping herself up on her elbows. So perfectly ready and willing. I paused a moment, to take her in, stroking my **** back and forward between her cheeks. The vibrant red of her skin had dulled now to a soft glow, although she still flinched a little at my touch.

A long moan escaped my lips as I pushed my way into her, her body welcoming me with a familiarity that set all my nerves tingling. She was incredibly wet from our games before, and I was able to bury most of my length in a single stroke.

"I swear you get bigger every time," she said, her voice low.

I responded by seizing her hips and pushing myself in further still, until I was pressed up against her. I started slow, giving her time to adjust, relishing her slickness and warmth. Our bodies quickly fell into sync, hers bucking gently beneath me, pressing upwards in time with my rhythm. Each stroke was almost torturous. Nothing had ever felt as good as she did.

Soon, that exquisite softness became too much. I longed to let go.

"Put your arms behind your back," I said.

She did as I'd asked, resting her head on the pillow in front. Somehow, that position made her look even hotter, the subtle angle of her back making her ass look good enough to eat. Crossing her wrists and pinning them behind her with one hand, I began to **** her harder, using her arms as leverage to drive her against me. Her body was completely mine now, and the volume of her cries instantly increased. There was no doubt she loved being rendered so powerless as much as I loved rendering her so.

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The wax on her back had hardened, and with every punishing thrust, little flakes broke off and drifted down onto the bed. I forced myself into her with a single minded urgency, as though by pushing deeper I could claim just a little more of her. There was nothing else in the world at that moment but her body beneath mine.

Her muscles tightened and her sounds became choked, and then another orgasm ripped through her. Then sensation of having her come around my **** drove me wild. I could feel every trembling contraction vibrate through her and into me.

It was too much. I felt the vestiges of my self-control shatter along with her. A mounting tension began building inside me as my hips took on a life of their own. It started low in my balls, radiating upwards and through my shaft then spiralling out further still.

"I'm going to come on you, Sophia," I panted, savouring the little sounds of encouragement the spilt from her lips.

As my pleasure reached its apex, I pulled myself free. There was a bursting sensation and my vision dimmed as I spurted liquid heat onto her back. Seeing her like that, coated in wax and water and me, was the perfect conclusion to the night's activities. It was so ****ing hot seeing her marked in that way.

"Well now I know you've made a mess back there," she said.

I laughed. "I may have. Let me fix that." I went to get a towel and took my time wiping her clean. Thanks to the oil, everything fell away easily.

"****, I love you," she said, as we lay there afterwards.

"That's the post coital hormones talking."

"Maybe," she said with a grin, "but it's still true."

"Well, I love you too." I reached out and gave her ass a squeeze. "Particularly certain parts of you."

She punched me playfully. "Now who's talking with their hormones?"

We snuggled together for a while, enjoying the comedown. Gradually, her breathing softened, and I assumed she'd fallen asleep, but then she spoke.

"I can't wait until this is all over."

"Me too," I said, running a hand through her hair. "I know this is rough, but you're dealing with it really well. I'm proud of you. And I'm so damn lucky you're putting up with it at all."

"You are rather lucky." She opened her eyes and gazed up at me, a playful little smile playing on her lips. "Then again, so am I." She let out a little sigh. "I'm just not much of a homebody, you know? Before all of this, if I wasn't at work in the evenings, I was out with Ruth and Lou, or Elle, or you. I can't wait to have that again. I want to be able to go out to dinner with you on my arm and watch all the other women in the place drool."

"If that's the case I dare say we'll be rendering the whole place incapacitated. You obviously don't see how most men look at you."

She laughed. "Perhaps in the interests of public safety we'd better stay here, forever, then."

"Perhaps." Some of my mirth slid away. "It won't always be like this, Sophia. We'll fix this, eventually."

"I know," she replied, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice.

I wished I could reassure her, but the truth was, I wasn't sure myself.

CHAPTER TEN

Sebastian

Thomas intercepted me the next morning, as I was arriving at the house.

"Can I have a word?" he asked. He looked concerned.

I motioned him towards my office.

"What's up?" I asked, as he closed the door.

"I heard something last night from one of our guys overseas. It's just a rumour, nothing concrete, but word on the street is that The Syndicate might be planning something big."

My eyes widened. The Syndicate were one of the closest things we had to a rival. They were less tightly knit than us, more of a financial conglomerate than anything else, but that only made them more ruthless. Russia, China, Saudi Arabia - anywhere with big oil or natural gas production - those were their strongholds. We'd had an uneasy peace with them for decades, mostly because butting heads would cause both of us immense damage; but it certainly wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that they were behind the recent attacks.

"Any idea what?" I asked.

Thomas shook his head. "It's just whispers at this point. It may not even be connected to all of this."

"You don't sound like you believe that."

He smiled thinly. "You know me. I don't like coincidences."

"Me either. I can't see an end game in it for them, though," I said. "We're not remotely close to any of their power bases. Even if they did manage to somehow destroy us all down here, it wouldn't make any difference to their operations. If they were going to make a play, I'd expect them to go after Europe or America, not us."

"Maybe they're just sending a message?"

"Maybe," I replied, although that didn't feel quite right. These attacks felt targeted and meticulous. "If it is them, they've certainly upped their game. They're not exactly the most subtle group, but the people messing with us right now are like ghosts. They're always one step ahead."

Thomas nodded. "That's been bothering me too."

"Well, keep your ear to the ground. Maybe they'll slip up and give themselves away. We could use a gift like that, right now. This whole situation is really starting to wear on me. Not to mention the toll it's taking on Sophia."

My discussion with her had been on my mind all day. I desperately wanted her to be happy, and would have liked nothing more than to spend our nights out on the town, but that was a spectacular way to leave us both exposed. Leaving her alone at work was bad enough, but at least her office had door scanners and security guards and a thousand sets of watchful eyes. Bars and restaurants were a different story. They weren't contained, they weren't a known quantity. Even with our little rag tag security team, there were a million things that could go wrong.

But as the afternoon rolled around, I was struck by an idea. I tracked down Tony and Aaron, and organised for them to just go straight back to the house. Tonight, I'd be playing chauffeur.

A few hours later, I was waiting on the footpath outside Sophia's office. As she exited the building and caught sight of me, her face lit up with a curious smile.

"Hey you," she said.

"Hey yourself."

"To what do I owe this pleasure?"

I grinned and held up the bag I was carrying. "I thought maybe we could have a little dinner party in your office. Just because we can't go to a restaurant doesn't mean we can't eat out."

"Oooh, my office. How exotic!" Her voice was sarcastic, but her smile only widened.

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"Well, we don't have to..." I replied, trying my best to sound put out.

She laughed. "I'm kidding. That's very sweet of you. And good timing. I'm starving."

I followed Sophia back inside, drawing a few strange looks from her colleagues, but we made it to the office without any awkward questions.

"It's still kind of early," she said, as I closed the door. "What happens if my boss decides to pop round for a chat?"

"Then I will politely ask him to leave."

"He might not appreciate that."

"Well I might not appreciate him interrupting our date."

She laughed. "I suspect you may just win that encounter."

I reached into the bag and cracked open a container. The room instantly filled with the smell of peanuts and garlic. "I hope Thai is okay."

She made an appreciative noise. "Thai is more than okay."

"And the coup de grace," I said, pulling out the bottle of wine I'd brought.

She clapped. "You know me too well."

"Only plastic cups I'm afraid."

"What?" she replied, with mock haughtiness. "This is an outrage!"

We settled in, passing containers back and forth and shovelling food into our mouths with those thin, store provided chopsticks. We were ravenous, and within just a few minutes we'd both managed to drip sauce down the fronts of our clothes, but all it did was make us laugh. There was something so comfortable about this sort of sharing. I'd eaten at a lot of fancy restaurants in my day, and while they had their charms, none of them compared to this. This was a level of affection and intimacy I assumed I'd never have, but by some miracle of God or fate, or whatever you want to call it, I'd found a woman who seemed to be willing to take all of my baggage on board. And amazingly, with our lives currently wrapped up in conspiracy and danger, we could still share moments like these.

"Thank you for this," she said, as we were taking a breather.

I shrugged. "It's no Mi Casa."

She reached out to give my hand a little squeeze. "Maybe not, but it's perfect anyway." And she was right.

It was a little sad, heading back to our makeshift fortress, but that couldn't erase the joy of the evening. Sophia's eyes were sparkling more than any time since before she was taken, and that alone made me incredibly happy. She had such life in her, and at times I was terrified the situation would crush that to dust.

It was dark by the time we pulled into the driveway, but I could still see the silhouettes of one of our guards sitting in his car on the grass to one side. The other would be around the back. It was encouraging to see that, even when we weren't home and they had every opportunity to slack off, they didn't. They were true professionals.

I parked the car and we hopped out. Thumbing the door scanner, I opened it and ushered Sophia inside.

"Home sweet home," she said.

I followed her, my eyes shamelessly glued to her ass. She turned her head and caught me. "And what are you looking at?"

"You," I replied. "Or rather, a specific part of you." I gave her a gentle little smack.

"What ever happened to look but don't touch?" she asked coyly.

"I plan on doing a lot more than touching."

I reached up to slip my jacket off, and then everything happened at once. There was a light, scraping sound from somewhere to our left. It was barely more than a whisper, a shoe catching a piece of furniture maybe, but my body had been on twenty four hour alert since this all started, so it was enough to set adrenaline exploding through my veins. If I hadn't already been removing my suit, I wouldn't have got there in time, but my gun was holstered in a shoulder strap that hung just below my armpit. As the two men appeared in the kitchen doorway, their own weapons pointed in our direction, I was already moving. My hand closed around my pistol grip as I lurched to one side, instinctively throwing myself in front of Sophia, knocking her into the room behind us. The air was suddenly thick with hot lead and the scent of gunpowder.

The first man missed his mark entirely, his bullets zinging into the plaster around me, and he paid the price as my first shot took him in the chest. However the next man was better. As his partner collapsed he took careful aim and fired a single round. I felt the wind of it plough past me as I threw myself behind the lounge room wall. Two inches to the left and I'd have been done.

I landed awkwardly and scuttled up into a crouch, then spun to check on Sophia. She looked over at me from the other side of the doorway, her face a mask of terror. I did my best to seem calm and collected, but blood was pounding in my ears. It had been a long time since I'd been in a real combat situation. I'd forgotten how sharp everything gets, how your heart feels like a fist pummelling the inside of your chest.

At any moment Tony and Aaron should have been bursting in through the doors, drawn by the sound of gunfire. But everything remained ominously silent. After a few seconds, I knew we were on our own.

I didn't understand how everything had gone so horribly wrong, but now wasn't the time to think. Now was a time for action. With every passing second, the situation grew more dangerous. Our opponent had gone quiet now. Probably holing up, to wait us out. He had a good position and a tiny space to watch. The moment I peeked out, I'd be done.

If I'd been alone, I could have simply looped around behind him through the lounge room's other doorway, but Sophia was essentially trapped in the corner. She couldn't go anywhere without exposing herself, which meant neither could I. I'd die before I left her alone.

I wracked my brains for some kind of plan, but nothing came. It would have to be a straight shoot out. That was the only way. He'd hit me, but maybe it wouldn't be lethal, maybe I'd still be able to take him out before I collapsed. I might not make it, but Sophia would.

She was still staring at me with those wide, beautiful eyes, her handbag clutched against her chest like a baby. I nodded reassuringly at her, trying to etch every line of that perfect face into my mind, then I crept to the edge of the doorway. She gasped as she realised what I was about to do, but I silenced her with a raised finger against my lips. There was no other option.

Taking a deep breath, I counted to three and then launched myself out across the doorway, the barrel of my pistol panning wildly for a target.

I expected to hear gunfire. I expected to feel that hot metal sting as he calmly picked me off from his perfect vantage. But instead, nothing happened.

The room across the hall was empty.

For a second I was confused, but then panic seized me, and everything suddenly seemed to slip into slow motion as I realised what had happened. I turned my head, catching sight of the man's profile in the lounge room's other doorway as he carefully took aim at me. I'd underestimated him. He hadn't been content to wait it out. Instead he was the one who'd looped around behind.

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My gun was still pointed the other way. I tried desperately to bring it around, but my arm felt leaden and impossibly heavy, like I was dragging it through thick mud. His finger twitched toward the trigger. I wasn't going to make it.

And then, when he was surely just milliseconds from firing, a percussion of loud cracks rang out from the corner of the room. Plaster floured the air, and the man's expression went loose. As the red punctures on his chest began to blossom out across his shirt, his legs ****d underneath him, and he fell limply to the floor.

For several moments, all I could do was stare. I'd been resigned. In my head, we were already dead, and it took a while for me to understand that that wasn't the case.

I turned slowly to Sophia. The gun I'd given her was still trembling in her hands. Every part of her was shaking in fact. She'd emptied the entire clip, only hitting him twice, but that was all it had taken.

The pistol dropped to the floor. "He was going to shoot you," she said woodenly.

That jolted me back to reality. Glancing over at each body once more to check for movement, I stumbled over and wrapped her in my arms. "I know. I know. You had no choice."

She nodded slowly, although her eyes were still distant. She was the strongest woman I'd ever met, but killing is something you can never be prepared for. It changes you. I couldn't believe I'd put her in that position.

I pulled her against me tightly, stroking her hair. She was in shock, and really needed time to recover, but that wasn't a luxury we had yet. For now I had to comfort her enough so we could move.

The fight felt like it had taken hours, but I knew from experience it was probably only about fifteen seconds. Still, we had to leave. There was a good chance that even through the solid walls someone had heard the shots. The police would likely be on the way, and spending several hours clearing up the mess would only serve to leave us more exposed. Then of course there were our assassins to consider. Things had just gone up to a whole new level, and I doubted that whoever was responsible would suddenly back down just because they'd lost this fight. More men could be on their way. We had to get somewhere safe.

"Sophia, look at me. We need to move now, okay?"

She turned slowly and stared for several seconds, before eventually blinking several times and nodding. "Okay. I'm okay. Let's go."

After scooping up our two weapons, as well as those of our assailants, I led her into the study. "Just getting some supplies," I said, removing my emergency duffel from the bottom of the cupboard.

She didn't reply.

Unzipping the bag I surveyed the contents; two changes of clothes for each of us, cash, phones, passports, and a laptop computer. I'd hoped to God we wouldn't have any cause to run, but I'd been prepared nonetheless.

I withdrew one of the phones and powered it on. It was a cheap, prepaid model, bought from a convenience store. In other words, it was utterly untraceable to me.

I guided Sophia back towards the front door, pausing briefly to snap pictures of the two men. Even as my brain struggled to process what had just happened, the logical part of my mind was still firing on some level. We couldn't stay, so I had to collect whatever evidence I could.

The air outside was warm and heavy. Raising my gun, I scanned the yard slowly, searching for any further danger. It was unlikely — it made more sense for our enemies to just stay together and ensure the job got done — but I wasn't taking any risks.

The garden appeared to be empty.

I started moving towards the gate with Sophia in tow. I could see how hard she was trying. The expression on her face was constantly shifting from frightened confusion to grim determination as she battled to keep her emotions in check.

As we passed the security guys' car, I couldn't help but glance over, already knowing what I'd find. From a distance nothing had looked wrong, but up close, it was Tony's shocked expression that greeted me. He wasn't moving. The red misting on his skin was lit up vividly in the moonlight like a poster for a horror film. Aaron would be around the back somewhere, in a similar state. I felt a hollowness building inside me, but I shoved it to the back of my mind. Not now.

Sophia followed my gaze, and let out a little cry, but I reached out and seized her chin, pulling her eyes to mine. "Don't look." She trembled a little in my grip, her eyes glistening and impossibly wide. "Don't look," I said again. And after a moment, her expression hardened and she gave a curt nod.

"We're going to take a taxi," I said, as we headed up the street. The house was only a five minute walk from the main road. It would be easy to flag down a cab at this time of night. "We need to get somewhere private. For all I know, the car is bugged. I need your phone too."

Her brow furrowed slightly, but she pulled it from her purse and handed it over. I threw it, along with my own personal one, into a bush. "Can't be too careful." I handed her the second prepaid. "Use this instead. I've got one too. The number is already programmed in."

To her cre***, she simply nodded again. I was partially awed and partially sickened at how quickly she was becoming used to this.

As I'd suspected, a cab was easy to find. I directed the driver towards Newtown, towards Sophia's house. That wasn't where we were really headed, but I had no idea how many resources our enemies had anymore. I wanted to keep them on their toes.

Once on King Street, we jumped out and hailed another taxi. "North," was all I said to the driver.

Sophia took my paranoia in stride, sitting and staring out the windows, hugging herself lightly despite the warmth. I didn't know what I could say, so I stayed quiet too.

The ocean fanned out in front of us, as we drove out over the Harbour Bridge, but my mind was racing too fast to appreciate the view. When we arrived at the mini-CBD that is North Sydney, I ushered Sophia out once more and then, picking a random direction, we began to walk. I figured if I did everything as randomly as possible, it made the chances of someone guessing where we'd gone almost impossible.

Two blocks later we found a hotel. It wasn't particularly big, nor were the rooms particularly nice. Sterile was probably the best word to describe it. Cheap furniture, cream coloured linen, and the slightly sickly scent of lemon detergent in the air. People didn't come to this part of town to holiday. They flew in on rushed overnight business trips, their only requirements a clean bed and a well-stocked mini bar. The mere fact that we were a couple checking in together drew a raised eyebrow from the concierge.

The moment I closed the door behind us, something seemed to drain out of Sophia again. She sat down on the bed and turned to face me. "I thought you said that place was safe."

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I exhaled slowly. "I thought it was. Nobody should have been able to get in there."

"So what does that mean?"

I could see she already knew the answer. I almost couldn't muster the words, words that had been playing in the back of my mind since the moment the fight ended. "It means you were right," I said slowly. "Someone in the group wants us dead." Despite how obvious it was, hearing myself say it out loud was like a punch to the stomach. One of my brothers had betrayed me. It was inconceivable.

Sophia closed her eyes briefly, like she'd just realised how little she wanted to be right this time. "So what do we do now?"

I shook my head, a sense of hopelessness clawing at my stomach. "I don't know." And it was true. I had no idea what our next move was. Without knowing who to trust, I couldn't properly use the group's resources. I was effectively cut off. Before, it had been our team against theirs, but now, it was the two of us against the world.

She gave a little nod, like she'd been expecting that, then slipped off her shoes and curled up on the bed. I stood there, staring at this broken woman, feeling so completely ashamed. The signs had been there, but I'd been too blind to see them, and once again she'd nearly paid the price.

"Can you hold me?" she said, after a few seconds. The tremble in her voice was enough to break my heart.

Hurrying towards her I lay down, looping my arm under her neck to cradle her against me. "Hey, hey, it's okay." She didn't cry, she simply burrowed against me, as if she were trying to disappear beneath my skin.

I kissed her forehead softly. "Don't worry, we'll work something out." I filled my voice with as much confidence as possible. What else could I do?

"Okay."

We lay there like that for a few minutes, enjoying the security of each other's presence. Despite my calm facade, the night's events had shaken me. I'd had a little combat exposure back in the day, but nothing ever makes getting shot at any easier. I knew it would pass, but right now, every nerve in my body felt frayed and agitated.

"We should get some rest," I said. "We can deal with this tomorrow. We'll think better with a night's sleep in us."

"Okay," she said again.

I leaned down to kiss her goodnight. It was an instinctive gesture. I hadn't planned for anything to come of it, but the moment our lips touched, a massive current sizzled between us. The lingering adrenaline from our fight surged in my veins, driving my body against hers as though she might be ripped away from me at any second. She was hesitant for a moment, but then she was kissing me back with equal urgency, a fearful hunger that was heartbreaking and yet utterly beautiful. The air swirled, heady with our need; the need to feel each other, to affirm we were both here and safe and together. That somehow, we'd survived.

Our hands fumbled for each other's clothes, tearing them free, and I lowered my naked form over hers, sinking into her wet heat. She arched beneath me, drawing a long intoxicated breath as our bodies joined.

I pulled her against me, welding her form to mine, desperate to be as close to her as humanly possible. There was nothing sensual or controlled about our lovemaking. It was raw and desperate and devastatingly passionate. There were no words to express the way we both felt in that moment, but our bodies could say what our mouths could not. After the terror of what we'd just been through, I desperately wanted to feel something good, something pure, and I wanted her to feel the same.

We came together, our eyes locked, our muscles quivering in unison. We didn't speak when it was over. We just lay there, bathing in the tender glow that, at least temporarily, kept the darkness at bay.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Sophia

For a few minutes after I woke, I actually felt really good. It was one of those lazy awakenings, where things come to you gradually; the sun through the window, the warmth of the blanket, the weight and scent of Sebastian besides me. Soon enough though, everything else made itself known.

Thinking back over it all, I felt strangely numb about the whole thing. I didn't know if that was normal or not. I'd killed a man. It seemed like I should have been balled up in a corner somewhere. But I wasn't. Maybe if I'd still been living my ordinary life, blissfully ignorant of this world, it would have been different. But given everything that was going on around us, it somehow didn't seem so shocking. He'd been trying to kill us, and I'd stopped him. That was all there was to it. I suspected it would come to haunt me, in time, but at that moment, I felt eerily calm. Perhaps it was just my body doing what it needed to, to get through this thing.

I glanced over at Sebastian's sleeping form, my eyes drinking in the taut coils of his back. It made me feel a little perverted that even now, the first thing I did was check him out, but the memory of our recent love making was blaring like fireworks behind my eyes. I had to admit, being shot at did have its perks. Our coupling had never been like that before; so raw, so desperate. He'd loved me like he might never get another chance, and my body had responded in kind.

He woke a few minutes later and rolled towards me, smiling through sleepy eyes. "Hey."

"Hey," I replied.

He leaned in to kiss me, and for a second I thought we might be taken by the same manic combustion that had seized us last night, but I had to settle for a little tingle in my belly instead. The crushing fear that had fuelled us appeared to be all burnt up.

"I'm starving," he said.

"Me too."

He slipped out from under the sheet and walked to the mini-bar. "Well, we can either have Snickers for breakfast, or we can venture out."

"You think that's safe?" I asked.

He shrugged and nodded. "It's going to be buzzing out there pretty soon. Finding two people in suits will be needle in haystack territory. Besides, nobody has any idea where we are. We're off the grid."

I glanced out the window. He was right. The streets were already thronging with people. North Sydney is the biggest business district outside of the actual CBD, making it a perfect disguise for people dressed like we were.

We found a little cafe in a side street and snagged a table in the back corner. We'd missed the breakfast rush and the place was starting to empty out, so if we talked quietly enough, we had a little privacy.

"So, what's our plan?" I said, when our waitress was out of earshot. She'd brought coffee, and I could already feel the sweet rush of caffeine wending its way through my brain. I was alert and ready as I was ever going to be to work out our next move.

He blinked several times, apparently taken aback by my directness. It was then that I noticed how tired he looked. The little lines that webbed their way out from his eyes were more pronounced than normal and his expression was slightly slack. I suspected he hadn't got much rest last night.

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"I'm not entirely sure," he said.

"Well, let's work out what we know. We know that someone from Alpha sent those men to our house, correct?"

He closed his eyes briefly and nodded. "Nobody else could have gotten in there, let alone known where it was."

"Okay, so that gives us something to aim at."

"Kind of, yeah," he replied. "But whoever it is, they're smart. When they kidnapped you, we threw everything we could at them, and we came up blank. Property ownership, the identity of the thugs they'd hired, everything. It was like trying to track down a ghost. Assuming that they're still that competent, I doubt we're going to find them easily."

I knew this conversation was difficult for him, but there was no way to avoid it. "Well, surely some members are bigger candidates than others?"

He understood instantly. "You mean Ewan?"

I nodded. "It was pretty clear from the outset that he didn't exactly approve of me. What did you say he called me? A liability? If those aren't the words of a man who wants me out of the picture, I don't know what are."

His brow furrowed, and he let out a long breath. "I know he seems like the obvious candidate, but I just can't see it. Maybe he'd move against us, maybe, but even that's a stretch. And Charlie and Simon? I'd bet a million to one he'd never do that. They were his closest friends. They'd been in the group together for decades."

"People can surprise us in the worst ways, sometimes," I said.

I could see him trying to make the pieces fit in his head, but eventually he shook his head. "You didn't see his face, hear his anger when he heard about their deaths. Besides, why would he be upset with you for endangering the group if he was also working to destroy it?"

He had a point. That didn't quite stack up. "So what about the others?"

He stared desolately down at the table. "I don't know. I can't really believe it of any of them. The group is a brotherhood, Sophia. I've known them all for years. I can't see any of them just turning power hungry all of a sudden."

"So that's what you think it's all about? Power?"

"Maybe. None of it really adds up. Taking out a few council members, sure, I guess I can see that as part of a larger plan, but then why go after you? That part still puzzles me."

I nodded. "Me too."

The waitress arrived with our food, and we ate in thoughtful silence for a few minutes.

"Let's try a different approach," I said eventually. "Who knew you were coming to my office last night?"

His eyes widened a fraction as he realised my implication. "Of course. I missed that. Whoever it was must have known we'd be out late. Every other night we arrived separately, and at different times. It would have been a nightmare to coordinate."

"Exactly. They saw an opportunity, and they jumped on it."

His expression slipped. "The only person I told was Thomas," he said, a current of disbelief running through his voice. "I'm not exactly on friendly chatting terms with many people over there right now. But there's no way he'd... he's my closest friend." He closed his eyes momentarily, collecting his thoughts. "There were other people in the room at the time. We'd just finished a meeting. I didn't really pay attention to who might be listening in, but plenty of them could have overheard."

"So it could be any of them," I said.

He nodded. "That does limit it to the inner council only though. There was no one else in the room."

"Well, that's something." I weighed our options. "So, we obviously can't go back to the house and, I take it from the way you threw away our phones, using the Alpha network at all is also off the cards?"

"I'm afraid so. They'd find us in an instant."

"So do we have any options at all? Or are we destined to discard our identities and live out of hotels forever?"

"It's not quite that bleak," he replied. "There's a few things we can try. I've got pictures of the men from last night, as well as their weapons. I can send that info off to some of my contacts directly, without going through Alpha at all. Like I said before, I doubt the bad guys are sloppy enough to leave a trail, but it's worth a shot."

I nodded. "Okay."

"Also, Joe should be on his way back right now, and he might be able to help us."

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought we weren't trusting the group right now."

"Joe is a special case. I've known him for my entire adult life. He recruited me, for God's sake. I'm one hundred percent certain he's got nothing to do with this."

The firmness of his tone left no room for argument and, the truth was, I trusted Joe too. "Fair enough," I said.

"We might be able to use his Alpha connection to see if whoever broke into our house left any evidence. Theoretically there should be security footage and a thumbprint record. I expect it's been cleaned up, but you never know."

"Okay," I said again. It seemed like a solid plan, given the circumstances. Then I had another idea. "Have you considered just announcing to the group that someone has gone rogue? Maybe you'll spook the spy and make him do something stupid."

"I thought about it. It might work, but it also might also have the opposite effect. If everyone suspects everyone, all sense of order will break down, and the chaos might help our enemy instead of hurt them. That's not a risk I'm willing to take unless we have no choice. The group is in enough danger already."

That made sense. "Alright."

We finished our food in contemplative silence.

"You know, a tiny part of me is regretting not taking those plane tickets right now," I said.

He managed a tiny smile. "I'm not surprised. The offer's still open, you know. I got you a passport made up just in case."

"Ooh, do I have a code name?"

"From memory, you're Lucy Page."

I made a face. "Makes me sound like a TV housewife from the fifties."

He chuckled. "Sorry."

"In any case, I'm certainly not going to go lie on any tropical beaches while you're stuck here, battling evil. You could come with me, though. Star crossed lovers fleeing to a foreign land together. It's kind of romantic."

He smiled wistfully. "I wish I could."

I'd said it like I was joking, but I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind. Maybe running off together was the best solution. Would it really be so bad, starting over from scratch? "Have you ever thought about leaving?"

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He didn't reply straight away. "I hadn't, but then I met you."

Such a short sentence, but it resonated through me.

"But it's daunting, you know?" he continued. "The group has been my life for so long. I don't know what I'd do without it."

I nodded. I understood that particular fear all too well.

"Anyway," he said, signalling for the cheque, "we should get back to the hotel. It will take a while for my contacts to get back to me, so the sooner we start, the sooner we might get some results."

A few minutes later we were back in the room. While he was sending off the info to his contacts, I fired through an email to my boss using my new phone, explaining that I'd come down violently ill and needed a few days off. He replied almost instantly saying it was no trouble. I got the sense he was extremely pleased to have me back at all, so a few more days made little difference. I didn't know what I'd do if our exile stretched into weeks, or longer, but I figured I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.

Once we'd both taken care of business, it was just a matter of waiting. I'd thought being penned up in the Alpha house was frustrating, but something about the cheap, cut and paste hotel decor made that room feel incredibly oppressive. We lay on the bed drinking wine from the mini-bar and watching daytime TV. I'd bought a few magazines on the way back, and I tried leafing through them, but I couldn't make myself focus. I was restless and frustrated at how powerless we were.

At some point, Sebastian fell asleep. Apparently he really had been wiped out. I tried to join him, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Instead, I found myself turning the situation over and over in my mind. I wished I'd paid better attention to Sebastian's colleagues. There were only a few who I'd even really talked with and, of that group, nothing stood out - besides Ewan's blatant dislike. Trey seemed friendly and relatively harmless and besides, he wasn't a council member. Then there was Thomas who, while being a little intense at times, appeared to care about Sebastian. Some of the other men had certainly seemed a little cold towards us, but I put that down more to Ewan's influence than anything else. Whoever the mole was, they were doing an amazing job of blending in.

At about six thirty, Sebastian woke up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sleep."

"It's fine, you looked like you needed it."

He nodded and flashed me a half smile. "I'll make it up to you by getting dinner. There's a Chinese place just downstairs that does takeaway."

I glanced at the TV, feeling a tightness in my chest. The prospect of spending any more time here, stewing in the horror that had become our lives, was almost too much to bear. I already felt like I was losing my mind and, if I stayed here, all I'd be able to think about was how helpless we were. "What we should do is hit the town," I said.

I'd mostly been joking, but the moment the words left my lips, the idea took root in my head. The gradually blooming smile on Sebastian's face said he felt the same way. "Maybe we should."

I laughed. "Is that crazy?" It seemed ridiculous to consider going out on a date, given everything that was happening, but hell, if people were going to be constantly trying to kill me, I felt like maybe I should take advantage of the lulls in between. Besides, I could desperately use the distraction.

"A little, maybe, but I can't see it being a problem as long as we keep it low key. If anybody had managed to follow us, they'd have made their move by now. A hotel is hardly going to provide much of an obstacle for one of my brothers. So we can assume they have no idea where we are. As far as they know, we could be anywhere in the city. Maybe anywhere in the country."

It made sense. "Low key hey?" I said. "Like pizza and a movie?"

"That sounds perfect."

A few minutes later, we were walking out through the hotel's front door. The streets were emptier at night, but there was still a steady stream of office workers who were clocking off late or heading home after a few end of day drinks.

It took us a while to find a pizza place, but when we did, we struck gold. A few blocks away from the main thoroughfare, we stumbled upon a tiny shop front with a giant neon pizza slice flickering above it. There was no other signage, not even a name, but it seemed to have what was important. It wasn't until we made our way inside that we realised what a gem we'd discovered.

The scene before us looked like it had been ripped straight out of a nineties sitcom. Dimly lit booths with red and white plastic table cloths, walls plastered with yellowed band posters and old advertisements for beer and motor oil. There was even an ancient pinball machine in the corner, it's warbling, high-pitched cries for attention fighting vainly against the throbbing rock music being piped through the speakers.

The place was relatively full, but the smiling, old, Italian-looking waiter didn't seem fazed, guiding us through the tables to an open booth, tucked to one side. Sebastian and I grinned at one another as we sat down. I could already feel some of my tension ebbing away, and I could tell he felt the same way.

We ordered a few pizzas to share, as well as a couple of the foaming mugs of unnamed beer that seemed to be the drink of choice.

"We might have another Mi Casa on our hands," Sebastian said to me once the waiter disappeared.

"We just might," I agreed. "It's almost enough to make you forget..." I trailed off, realising I was only going to kill the mood, but it was too late. His expression wilted.

"I didn't really ask before, but are you coping okay?" he said. "Yesterday... well, it was pretty rough."

Memories of the previous night appeared, unbidden, in my mind. The weight of the gun, the violent kick of it in my hands, the way the man's eyes grew wide as his legs collapsed under him. Not now! I pushed it all to the side. "That's one way to put it," I said, keeping my voice level. "But yeah, I think I'm doing okay."

He didn't look like he believed me, but he nodded. "I know the apologies are probably getting old, but I can't tell you how sorry I am that I put you in that position. I should have listened to you when you questioned my colleagues."

"You should have," I said, managing a small smile, "but, like I said, I stopped blaming you for all of this weeks ago. You can't shoulder the burden of everything that happens to the people you know, Sebastian. Proximity doesn't equal fault. I've forgiven you, but our relationship will never work unless you forgive yourself too."

Some of the tension drained out of his face. "You're right. The thought of you being in danger just tears me up, that's all. If I lost you..." he shook his head.

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I reached out and weaved my fingers through his. "You won't. The odds may be bad, but so far, we've survived everything they've thrown at us. We'll get through this, we just need to focus." I wasn't quite as confident as all that, but I knew that he needed to hear it. If, by some miracle, we were to beat this thing, we needed to keep our eyes on the prize.

It seemed to work. After a few seconds, his jaw tightened and he nodded. "That sounds like a plan."

"But not tonight," I continued. "We can't do anything until we hear back from everyone, so tonight, let's forget all about this and just be a couple, out on a date. I want to remember what it's like to feel normal again, even if it's just for one night."

His lips gradually curled upwards. "I can do that."

And so we did. For the next two hours, we talked about everything but the lurking danger. He seemed to enjoy hearing about my antics with the girls and, thankfully, Ruth provided enough material to base an entire sitcom on. Pretty soon we were both in hysterics, our stomachs aching from laughter.

The pizza was spectacular. Thinly cut and dripping with cheese, it tasted as delicious as it did unhealthy, and it was exactly the kind of comfort food I needed.

When we'd had our fill, we caught a cab a few minutes north to the nearest cinema. Out on the street, I found myself glancing over my shoulder a few times, but nobody was paying any attention to us. It appeared Sebastian had been right. We were off the grid.

None of the films playing really looked interesting, but I didn't care. It was more the act of going to the movies than the movie itself. Something about going on such a mundane date with Sebastian pleased me immensely. It felt like the kind of date I'd have gone on with a university boyfriend. There was no fanciness to it, no expectations or desire to impress. It was just the two of us hanging out and enjoying one another's company.

We settled on some big budget sci-fi title that seemed like it might at least look impressive on the big screen. It was a relatively quiet session, with only fifteen or so other people in the cinema. We took up residence somewhere towards the back.

Within about ten minutes, I was bored. It did look spectacular, but the script sounded like it had been written by an internet chatroom bot, and every member of the cast seemed to be too busy practising Blue Steel to actually display any other facial expressions.

Apparently, Sebastian felt the same way. "Is this what counts for cinema these days?" he whispered. "It's been a while since I've been to the movies, so I'm a little out of touch."

I shook my head. "I don't go much either, but this is definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel. I'm not sure I can take another hour and a half."

His eyes took on a wicked glint. "Perhaps I can find a way to make that time a little more bearable." Lifting the armrest so there was nothing between us, he slipped closer, burying his face against my head and breathing in deeply. "I wouldn't want you to be bored," he said, in a soft throaty voice, and before I knew it, his hand was skimming gently up my leg.

I laughed at his audacity and then glanced around. There was another couple in our row, about eight seats over, and a group of three guys just a few rows in front. Nobody was paying any attention to us so far, but it wouldn't take much to change that.

"Sebastian," I said, nodding at the couple and raising my eyebrows.

He grinned like a child who knew he was about to do something naughty and just didn't care. "They're not paying attention." Pulling away momentarily, he shrugged off his jacket and threw it over both our laps. "And if they are, now all they'll see is a cold girl and her chivalrous boyfriend."

Before I could argue, his hand was climbing my thigh once more. I felt like I should keep up the pretence of resistance, but the truth was, my heart was already beating wildly, and the closer he drew to my ***, the less fighting it seemed to matter.

His fingers inched upward until they found my panties, tugging them to the side. The first touch was soft, a gentle caress from my entrance all the way up, and I felt myself grow wet almost instantly. I let out a little sigh and sunk deeper into my seat to give him better access. Taking my cue, he slipped one long finger inside me, teasing and probing until he eventually settled on my g-spot. That sudden contact sent a spike of pleasure through me, drawing a sharp gasp from my lips.

"Uh uh, quiet now," he whispered. "We wouldn't want to alert our audience."

I swallowed loudly and clamped my mouth closed, glancing around the room once more. All eyes were still fixed on the screen, although the couple in our row both looked to be wearing tighter expressions than before. Was it just the film? Or were they onto our game and simply trying to ignore us? I felt an uneasy excitement settle in my stomach, the same kind of perverse thrill I'd experienced wearing the butt plug around my office.

Sebastian stroked me with a slow, rhythmic motion, and everything began turning to liquid inside me. A second finger joined the first, and I bit back another cry, curling my hands tightly around the arm rests for fear that my movements would betray us.

"Do you like that?" Sebastian breathed into my ear. "Do you like being pleasured in a room full of people?"

I nodded quickly, not trusting myself to do more than that.

"God, you feel so good around my fingers. I wish I had something else inside you. But I can wait. I'll **** you soon enough."

For a moment, all I could think about was having his **** inside me, but then his thumb found my clit, and all other thoughts fled. There was just his hand and the exquisite things it was doing to me. The simultaneous stimulation was incredible. I had no idea how he was so dexterous, but every motion seemed to work together in perfect harmony. A tightness began to build in my core, beckoning, begging for release.

"I want you to come for now me, Sophia, and I want you to do it without making a sound."

I wasn't sure that was going to be possible. Even with my mouth firmly shut, there were shrill little noises escaping my throat. But I sure as hell wasn't going to stop and tell him that.

With the same relentless pace, he brought me over the cusp. I buried my face against his shoulder, my whole body shaking, as though all of the cries I wasn't letting out were bouncing around inside me.

"****," I said when it was over.

He glanced around. "As tempting as that sounds, I think that might get us noticed."

I laughed, but the suggestion made my *** clench all the same. "Perhaps we should go somewhere where we won't be noticed then," I said, running my hand slowly along the bulge in his pants