Thread: Caught Between [LeatrixSage x Mr Quixotic]

The glass tumbler hit the table with a heavy thunk, a surprising declaration of its quality. Whoever stocked this place had cared less about their food and more about their drink. Something further evidenced by the scent of vanilla, honey, or maybe butterscotch, that wafted off the bourbon as Cole poured her a glass. She picked it up and swirled the fluid within, admiring its golden color and the play of yellow light on its surface while Cole insinuated that she had deliberately attacked that guard. Or at least caused the confrontation. Dont be an ass, she sighed before taking a long pull of the bourbon. A biting sweetness bathed her tongue, and when she swallowed, it cut a fiery path down her throat before spreading a relaxing warmth through her limbs. Maybe their choice of food was crap, but the bourbon was quite fine. And, thank you for the complement. But, I dont think Viktor see anyone other than himself as dangerous. He wasnt going to admit that she had been right. Or that he should have gotten there sooner. Or that he should have been more careful and taken her warnings about the officers and guards more seriously. But, it was something. An acknowledgement, if nothing else. And then he had to go and change the subject to a comment about her friend that made her roll her eyes as she took another drink. It wasnt a question that was meant to be answered, so she let it go. Val, however, had the same fears about the tapes that Cole had. Sure, she could tell them who the voices belonged to, testify to who was in the room, all of that but that was barely better than hearsay, and it wouldnt even take a good lawyer to bring her character as a witness into question in the eyes and minds of the jury. And a good one might learn too much for my linking... She was so busy thinking about what she didnt want anyone to know, that it wasnt until Cole bent over the table that she realized he was closing in on her. Startled, her grip tightened on her fork as she sat back in her chair. She let the instinct to defend herself come and go, ignoring the adrenaline kick that sped up her heart beat. Cole Whittaker wasnt a threat, that was the point, thats why he was here. Still, he came close enough that she could smell the bourbon on his breath blended with what she guessed was aftershave. Her eyes sharpened as she met his gaze, darkened like angry, grey storm clouds, and an electric thrill snaked up her spine. She accepted the fact that she had withheld some of the truth from him. She wasnt going to argue that point, it would just be stupid, because it was obviously true. As he reached for her side she stiffened, not because she was bashful, but because she was restraining the urge to protect herself from him. He pinched her side, pulling the skin and opening the little slice shed worked so hard to get sealed shut. It stung, and she very nearly gave into the urge to smack him for it. After commanding her to stand, he moved away, outside easy striking distance. Val breathed out slowly, releasing a breath she hadnt realized shed been holding. Cole was an observant man, he noticed the details, and they both knew damn good and well that she wasnt bleeding out. What was the game then , she wondered. His excuse that he needed her to put Curic behind bars was true, but weak. She wasnt going to die from such a little scrape. Hiding it had been something of a matter of pride, maybe breaking that pride was the point of his insistence? Val wasnt certain she believed that, either. He was up to something. Her curiosity deepened as he promised her the King bed in the Master Suite, as if she wasnt going to be sleeping there either way, and with or without him in the bed as well. He gestured for her to get to her feet as he told her not to be shy, and a smirk twitched at the left corner of her mouth despite the impassive expression she tried to maintain. If he was trying to insult her, or get a rise in her ire, he was missing his mark by miles. Alright Cole, you want to play? Then lets play. Would you like me more if I was shy and demure, Marshal? she asked with an air of honest curiosity as she stood. Sure, she could have just lifted her blouse and maintained her modesty but where was the fun in that? Without preamble, she lifted the blouse over her head, folded the delicate fabric and set it on the table. The white, lace bra beneath had been well hidden under the thin blouse, but without it, the bra did next to nothing to hide the soft, honey-colored flesh that tipped her breasts. Reaching behind herself, Val popped free the hidden button on the waist band of the pencil skirt, and then let the fabric slid down her legs to puddle around her feet on the floor. Im sorry to disappoint you, Val murmured as she turned sideways to him, the little thong doing as much to maintain her modesty as the bra she wore. But, I am neither shy, nor demure. Val gave him a little wink, and then reached around to pull the little bit of now red toilette paper stuck to her skin off of her side. There was a small twinge of pain as she pulled up the scab that had been forming, and she dabbed at a fresh little trickle of blood before it could run down her hip. Between his pinching and her tearing the scab, the wound was back open and weeping, and that made her a touch irritated. She would rather it didnt become yet another scar. Val had her fair share of those for Cole to see now that her armor was stripped away. On the back of her left shoulder was the remnant of a stab wound, high on her right arm was a pock-mark scar from a bullet, which matched a couple on her left thigh. Beneath her right arm, near her arm pit and just past the swell of her breast, was a burn scar the size of a cigar. And, if he pulled back her hair and peaked behind her left ear, there was the place where someone had once held a knife to her skin and threated to sink it into the jugular vein hidden beneath it. One did not live the life she had without picking up a few mementoes along the way. Well, she watched him, her eyes sharp and keen, like some hungry, jungle cat that was waiting for its next meal to get close enough to ambush. Shed been watching his eyes, the changes in his expression, and she had the feeling that whatever Coles goal had been, it hadnt turned out quite has he had planned. Are you going to come take a look, or not? While I dont mind standing around, nearly naked, it is rather chilly in here, and I would like to stop the bleeding again, if you dont mind. Last edited Jun 7, 2018