For Love or Freedom

Raphael froze as he heard a noise from outside the front door. He turned, eyes darting to the mirror on the wall that gave him a clear view of the entrance. He was out of sight as she hipchecked the door open, but wasn't really hiding. She hooked her leg around it and kicked it closed again, carefully balancing a large, gray camera on her shoulder. It wasn't a camcorder; it was much larger. It looked like one of the cameras TV stations used. He grinned, thoughts of how much that thing might weight mixed with consideration of the lens length.
She stumbled into her office and dropped her backpack off her other shoulder. It hit the floor with a quiet thud and she turned to the table all of her video equipment rested on. She was a bit distracted, but not so much so that she didn't realize she wasn't alone. She ignored the intruder for the time being and maneuvered out from underneath the camera, setting it on the long table.
Two large machines that looked somewhat similar to very complicated, bulky VCRs rested one on top of the other on the table, along with two that looked more like normal VCRs. There were several TVs of various sizes, and a large panel with rows of buttons and levers on it. On either side of the switcher were two computers, a modern-looking one and another that looked something vaguely like an Apple computer from the 80s, only with a larger, more complex-looking keyboard.
She popped the tape out of the camera she'd brought in with her, and set it on top of the largest TV, then took the camera to a large, closed cabinet. It had to be unlocked before she could open it, and she moved slowly, lazily, to reveal a dozen other cameras of various types. Several different DVcams, Hi8, S-VHS, 8mm, and two plain VHS cameras. She picked up the Betacam she'd brought in with her and set it on the lowest shelf.
Raphael leaned against the doorway, his eyes running over the contents of the cabinet. Those looked very expensive. In fact, the entire setup looked like it was probably not too cheap. It was complicated, and likely something Don would have a field day with. He wasn't interested in the technology of it. But a slow grin formed across his face as he considered the cameras. He'd known she had them for quite some time. But he'd not actually seen them before.
She reached to the top shelf and grabbed several more tapes like the one she'd taken from the Betacam. They were distinctly different from the kind of tapes one would put into a VCR. They were set beside the larger, more complex VTR machines and she stared for a moment, not moving. She'd spent four hours shooting a birthday party, and it would take about an hour of editing to put it all together into a final product. She could get it back to them tomorrow and get the money for it in the bank. She needed the money, but she didn't really feel like doing this work right now. Her thoughts were elsewhere. And she could probably put it off until tomorrow morning...
"Need a lil' help wit that?"
She glanced at the figure in the doorway and smiled faintly, her hands dropping from her hips in a less pissed off look. "You just stay away from my video equipment," she teased. "This shit costs more than this house."
"Really now?" he mused, stepping forward into the darkened shadows of the room. She hadn't bothered to turn the light on, and the dim glow from the window wasn't much to see by. The sun had already set, albeit just recently. He ran his fingers lightly over the tabletop. "Looks too complicated for me to even want to touch."
"Well good," she mumbled, turning away again. "That makes me feel a lot better."
"Although..."
She looked up again, her eyes meeting his in a less-than-trustful look. "Although what?"
He eyed the cameras and the tapes with a dark glint in his eye, and moved fluidly to the cabinet, trailing his finger lightly along one of them. She watched carefully as he picked up one of the small, handheld DVcams. "So why you got so many of 'em?" he asked, turning it over to look at all the controls.
She shrugged. "It depends on what I need to shoot, which camera I use. I like the DVcams because they're high quality, but since I edit with a switcher in a kind of... makeshift linear editing system, I have to dub it to beta or S-VHS before I can work with it. And every time you dub a tape, it loses quality. So I tend to use those for things that won't need to be edited. Sound bytes and stuff like that. Weddings where sound is needed. But they're small so the picture's never really steady." She picked up a significantly larger VHS camera. "I use these a lot, if it's more than a one camera shoot. Same picture quality on all the cameras, albeit the quality is low. Eventually I'll get another betacam and these will be retired. But even with all the companies and stations switching to digital, a betacam can still run five thousand dollars easy."
His eyes were locked on the camera in her hands, only half listening. "VHS" was a term he recognized. "So... the tape that comes outta there can go straight into a VCR," he assumed.
She nodded, and he reached for the camera. She went ahead and switched with him, not willing to play tug-o-war with her equipment. He turned it, looking over the buttons. It was larger, and quite a bit heavier than the tiny digital camera. "How's it work?"
She placed the digital back on the shelf and shrugged in answer to his question. "It's point and shoot. Not much to it. Auto focus, white balance, iris... can be a real pain in the ass for what I need it for 'cause I like to control all that manually." She turned to him and slid the cover on top of the camera aside, baring the VCR controls. "This lets you control the tape but I don't think there's..." She gripped the top of the camera and turned it to its side. "Actually, looks like there is a tape in there. I got no idea what's on it."
Raphael grinned. "That easy, huh?"
She shrugged. "Yeah. Those were my first cameras. I got the whole setup for them. Lavs, obies, tripod mounts... the whole thing. Though the tripods are about all that I use." Slanclanced at him again, suddenly remembering her distrust. "What do you care, anyhow? This stuff's been here for months and you never gave it a second glance."
Raph shrugged and grinned at her. "It's a surprise."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "No surprises. Not with fifty thousand dollars worth of AV equipment."
He laughed. "Not that sort of surprise..." He set the camera back on the shelf and moved behind her, his arms circling her waist as he nudged her hair aside and kissed along the rim of her ear. He sucked gently at the lobe, then nuzzled her, letting his breath rasp in and out of her ear. "Naughtier..."
Her eyes narrowed as she suddenly realized she had a good idea what he'd been "although-ing" about a few minutes ago. "No," she answered. "Don't even think about it."
"Think about what?" he asked.
"Don't play innocent with me," she warned. "I don't buy it."
His hands slid under her button-down shirt and caressed her stomach lightly, moving down to kiss and suck at the side of her neck. "That's okay," he rasped. "You weren't supposed to."
She glanced up at the camera, and tensed as she realized the little red light was blinking. The lens was pointed directly at them. She tensed all at once. "Raph..."
"Relax," he breathed, his hands sliding up further as he sucked gently on her skin. "Just you'n me here, baby..."
"No..." she corrected. "It's you, me, and a camera. That's a big difference."
His hands roamed higher, brushing against the underside of her breasts through her bra. "C'mon baby..." he whispered, extending his fingers up to brush lightly over her nipples. He kissed along her jaw, seeking out her lips. "Nobody's gonna see it 'cept you 'n me. An' we can watch it again..." He nipped at her gently, running his tongue over her skin. "... and again..." His mouth moved back toward her ear again. "... and again..."
"Why would we want to?" she questioned.
"I want to."
She shifted nervously as he cupped her breasts and kneaded gently. "It ain't like I'm gonna let anyone else see it, babe," he whispered. "There's a reason I avoid cameras, you know."
She considered that for a moment. "Well, I wasn't exactly worried about you playing it in Times Square."
"What're you worried about then?"
He nuzzled against her neck, his hands slipping back down to bare, soft skin on her belly. "I'm just not sure I want a tape like that in existence."
"Trust me."
"Raph..."
"You have my word."
She pulled away and turned her face to him, watching his eyes carefully. Hands at his sides now, he nodded once, completely serious. "No one else will see this tape. I promise."
She watched him closely, unmoving, but didn't pull away when he grabbed her arm and drew her close to him again, her back against his plastron. "You want this, baby..." he breathed against the side of her face. "You want me to touch you. Fuck you..." He nibbled gently at her earlobe again, running his tongue over the soft, vulnerable skin behind it. "You know I can make you feel good..."
She could feel herself melting into his touch. She relaxed slightly, involuntarily, leaning back against him. Her hands fell back behind her, to his hips, brushing his skin lightly as he slowly began working at the button lowest on her shirt. She turned her head to the side, allowing her hair to fall in front of her face and shield her from the blinking red light of the camera. "Raph, please..."
"Please what?" he breathed, slipping one hand down under the top of her jeans, brushing his fingers back and forth over her skin. She moaned quietly as he latched on to her neck, sucking and licking at her. His other hand continued to work at the buttons on her shirt, slowly exposing her. "Tell me what you want," he murmured against her neck. "Let me fill you... satisfy you."
She ran her fingers slowly up his sides, touching sensitive skin with only the tips of her fingers. She could feel the kiss of cooler air against her skin as the shirt slowly parted. He reached the top button and slid his fingers down underneath the band of her panties, brushing lightly. His other hand moved down and slid under the shirt, cupping her breast. He ran his fingers along the underwire and stopped when he reached the fabric between her breasts. His eyes opened, and he looked down over her shoulder as he saw there was a clasp there. She turned to him, shooting him a dark, seductive look, and he smiled.
His lower hand pulled away, moving up over her stomach again and caressing her lower ribs. He used both hands to unclasp her bra, though he probably could have done it with only one, and held it in place, his palms over her breasts. She tilted her head back, resting it on his shoulder, and drew in a long, slow breath as he slowly pulled the bra and the shirt away, exposing her to the camera. He drew both back, off her shoulders, and let them fall down her arms, gathering in a pool at their feet.
He ran his hands down her sides, caressing her skin gently with the tips of his fingers. His lips trailed along her throat, his neck curved around hers. She turned her face to him and kissed him deeply as he reached her lips. A slight moan escaped her as he probed deeply, his arms sliding around to her front again. His fingers worked at the top of her jeans, and he pulled away from the kiss to work down toward her neck again. He carefully gauged his surroundings for a moment and looked for the best place to set her. The table was sturdy. Not enough room to lay her down on it but it was a straight shot to the camera and the best logical place.
Suddenly, she'd grabbed his wrists, stopping him before he could get her zipper halfway down. Her eyes narrowed, challenging him as he watched her impassively. No words were necessary. She wanted to play? He could deal with that. He spun her around, turning to profile for the camera, and pulled her in, kissing her hard. Her hands went to his plastron, ready to push him away but not attempting to yet. She let him kiss her, but didn't return it, still watching his eyes carefully. He slid a hand up the center of her back to the space between her shoulderblades and held her close. His other hand rested against the small of her back, fingers brushing lightly against her.
She pulled awrom rom the kiss and leaned down with her head on his shoulder, teeth latching onto the side of his neck. She didn't bite hard enough to mark him, but it wasn't exactly gentle, either. Her hands moved down and she gripped the bottom of his plastron hard, holding him to her. Raph tensed slightly at her grip, but she knew better than to try and hurt him. If she truly wanted to stop, she knew how to push his buttons. She could quite effectively throw a bucket of cold water on this situation, and he knew it.
But she didn't. Her tongue ran over his skin, teeth remaining firmly against him. She extended her fingers up and inside of him, but not really reaching far enough to try and touch him. He squirmed a bit and moved his hands to her breasts. He touched her firmly, almost roughly, but not enough to hurt her any more than her teeth hurt him. He tugged and teased her nipples, growling softly as he felt her nails scrape along the inside of his plastron.
She ground her hips against his, pulling back to kiss firmly down along his shoulder. Her eyes flickered to the camera, and she hesitated for a moment, then forced herself to forget it, moving her hands along the edge of his plastron up to his sides again. Raphael drew in a long, slow breath as he stroked and kneaded at her breasts, alternating hard and soft touches. His heart pounded in his chest and he could feel the pressure in his shell increase, but he forced himself to not focus on it. Pressing into him, she draped her arms over his shoulders, meeting his lips with a deep, passionate kiss. She was still tensed, watching him closely.
His hands moved up and down her back as he kissed her hungrily. He loved the way her soft, warm breasts felt pressed up against his plastron. He instinctively ground his hips against hers as she rubbed against him, kissing and sucking at his neck. "You wanna touch me?" she whispered, pulling back to smile seductively at him. "Want me to suck you? Get you off?"
He grinned, going for her zipper again. "Heh. All of the above, baby..."
She chuckled, caressing the back of his neck with her fingertips. "Any particular order or just whatever comes to mind?"
He licked his lips, eyes darkening as he watched her. "Mmm... I think I wanna touch you all over, taste all of you. Then I'll let you suck me... and then I'm gonna fuck you 'til we both get off."
She laughed, running her nails down his hard biceps and she kissed his throat, nudging him gently. He moaned slightly as he eased her zipper open, slipping his fingers down just underneath the waistband, massaging gently. He loved how she felt, soft and warm against his rough, callused skin. He churred again as he leaned down to inhale the scent of her skin, licking gently along her neck. She moved down slowly, kising along the center ridge of his plastron. Her hands trailed down his sides, then down over his thighs as she sank to her knees. "But... what if I wanna suck you now?" she whispered, running her tongue over the lowest edge of his plastron.
He smirked and reached down, pulling her up again and roughly tugging at her jeans. "You'll just have to wait, baby."
She groaned, leaning back and relying on his arms behind her to support her. Her eyes remained locked on his, glaring at him. "What if I don't want to?" she hissed. Her fingers curled up under his plastron, reaching far enough to touch him this time.
He growled quietly and in one quick movement had her pinned against the table. He pulled her toward him enough to force the jeans down off her hips and partly down her thighs, then slid his hands up over her arms to her shoulders, roughly caressing her. He leaned into her and breathed into her ear. "How 'bout I just fuck you hard and get us both off now?" he rasped.
She watched him intently, not answering. His hands ran over her naked hips, and up her sides to her breasts again. "Tell me you don't want it, baby," he dared her. "Tell me you don't want me to fuck you."
She cringed slightly at his words and looked away as his fingers ran down, circling her navel before they slipped under the band of her panties and brushed her clit. Her nerves jumped, and her body tensed. He leaned into her, kissing and licking at her neck. "No?" he challenged. "Tell me what you do want then..."
She could feel her body reacting, sensation building in the heat between her legs. She closed her eyes, turning her head away without offering him an answer. "You want it?" he breathed, running his tongue along her jaw. "You wanna feel it? Tell me. You know I'll give it to you."
A slight whimper escaped her lips as he leaned in and brushed his lips over her ear. His fingertip moved steadily back and forth over her nerves, and she shifted, slightly uncomfortable. He smirked at her stubborn refusal and stroked lightly, occasionally slipping down lower to caress her damp folds. He was tight in his shell, and her games were only getting him hotter. He churred as he let her scent fill his nostrils, content to tease and torment her. "I can't hear you," he breathed.
She opened her eyes and watched him carefully, trying not to react too much to the gentle stroking between her legs. "If you expect me to beg, you got another thing comin'."
He laughed softly in her ear, his other hand slipping up to caress her bare breasts. "That sounded like a challenge, princess..."
She glared at the name, and he made note of it, somewhere in the back of his mind. Her fingers ran slowly down his sides to his hips. "If you aren't careful, I'll make you beg," she threatened.
Raph growled softly and allowed himself to drop down, easing the pressure that had been growing. His fingers moved to hook around the waistband of her panties, and he smirked at her. "No chance in hell."
Her eyes lowered between them and she smiled as she saw him extended. "Don't think so?" It was a blatent challenge. She could plainly see how turned on he was. But she was still half dressed.
Raphael gave a brief churring growl before turning her around so her back was to him. He knelt, tugging her panties down until both they and her jeans were at her ankles. His patience had worn thin and he was hardly about to let her win this round. She braced on the table, and smiled as she felt his tongue work slowly up the back of her leg. He lingered a moment behind her knee and she moaned slightly. Her legs spread wider, lifting one out of her jeans and granting him access. She leaned as his hand on the small of her back pushed her forward.
He moaned softly in the back of his throat as he inhaled her scent. Very slowly, he moved up, kissing along her thighs, not touching her yet. Her head tipped back, legs parting further, her back arching. He let his thumbs lightly rub against her folds before spreading her open as wide as he could. He breathed in deep and leaned up to kiss her, sliding his tongue deep within her depths. Her fingers curled, nails scraping the tabletop as she arched further. "Mmm..."
His tongue rolled lightly against her inner walls, alternating deep and shallow thrusts into her body. His hands massaged her thighs and up to her ass, holding her, then moving to the side to grip her hips. He moved down again, running his thumbs against the inner crease of her thighs. She tasted so good... He could feel his impatience grow, but he wasn't going to let her get the better of him. Even if it killed him.
She could feel heat spreading through her and slowly allowed herself to give into it. Her nerves danced, the warm wetness of his mouth intensifying the heat between her legs. She closed her eyes, and visions of him taking her flashed against the backs of her eyelids. She moaned, craving the feel of him inside of her as he licked and sucked, slowly driving her insane.
He gave a soft growl against her before pulling away and swallowing her warm essence. He allowed himself to take in the scent of her arousal while his fingers brushed back and forth against her outer lips. Leaning in further, he flicked his tongue lightly against her clit a few times to excite her. She whimpered, and forced herself to breathe deep, chest rising and falling steadily as she leaned forward on the table, legs spread wide.
He stroked her lips with his tongue again. She was so wet and warm... He knew exactly how hot she was for him, and it filled him with a smug self-satisfaction to know that he'd gotten her so hot. His finger reached up to flick over her clit. He could feel his shaft twitch from time to time, but he knew his limit. As long as neither of them were touching him there, he would be fine until she was damn good and ready for him. He didn't care if she actually begged - sure he could make her, but that would require more patience than he was willing to spare at the moment - but he wanted to be damn sure she was gonna lose control of her vocal chords somewhere along the line. He loved hearing her scream. It was an incredible thrill to know he had that kind of control over her, to make her not care who heard her.
She knew just how close she was coming to begging, even if he didn't. She allowed a few more moments of his warm kisses, then closed her legs, blocking his access to her. He growled dangerously at her sudden refusal. He knew damn well she was enjoying every minute of his attentions. She was being stubborn. He rose and stood still, his hands loosely resting on her hips as she turned to him.
For a long time they just stared at each other, not moving, not touching, not doing anything. The space between them was electrified, the scent of her arousal swirling around him. He could feel his pulse pound, his cock throbbing. He was hot - they both were - and he knew that neither one could hold out for much longer before one of them was going to snap and give in. It was a battle of wills now.
She stared intently at him, almost a glare. "Well?" she challenged.
He crossed his arms over his plastron and smirked at her, appearing much calmer than he was feeling at the moment. "Your move."
She studied him carefully for a moment, her eyes running down over him in a slow, blatent appraisal. Raphael stared at her impassively, not at all intimidated by her sweeping eyes. They lingered at his shaft, and a wicked smile crept across her face as she reached out slowly and swept her fingertips up his entire length, base to tip. He tensed slightly, but otherwise didn't react. He was not about to give her the satisfaction of a reaction, despite how close that moan was to escaping his lips.
She laughed at the effort to mask his arousal. He did a very good job, but she could still see the excitement in the back of his eyes as she wrapped her entire hand around him and massaged gently, her thumbs pulling back his foreskin to expose his sensitive tip. "You ready to beg yet?" she teased.
He shifted, holding back a moan. His eyes flashing dangerously in challenge to her. With a subdued growl, he pulled her hand away and spun her around. She gasped in surprise as an arm across her shoulderblades pushed her down hard against the ice cold metal of the VTR decks. "No," he answered. "Are you?"
Her body adjusted, the warmth of her breasts transferring to the metal equipment. She braced, and smiled wickedly. "Not at all... "
He pressed up against her, briefly rubbing his shaft against her slit to feel her wetness. "You don't wanna feel me?" he challenged. "You don't want me inside of you?"
"You don't wanna be inside of me?" she shot back at him.
He ground against her just slightly, coating his tip with her warm fluids. "I might," he answered.
She smirked am. m. "How bad do you want it?"
"Mmm..." He held her hips and thrust deep inside of her in one long stroke. "Bad enough to take it."
She couldn't help the quiet moan that escaped her lips as she felt him fill her. He held himself steady, allowing them both a moment to get used to the feeling. She was so warm and wet and tight around him. He loved this feeling. It was the one thing in the world that always felt good, regardless of what the circumstances were in his life. She relaxed slowly, rubbing against him as her back arched slightly.
He leaned forward on her back and reached his hand around to caress her breasts. His other hand held her hip and slowly, carefully he began to stroke in and out of her heat. She moaned, rocking back against his shallow thrusts to drive him deeper. He growled softly, the hand around the front of her sliding down over her stomach to her spread legs wideer. His fingers found her clit and she whimpered as he massaged it.
She could feel heat and excitement build, skipping along her nerves as he tugged gently at her clitoris and rolled it between his fingers. He began to pick up speed, thrusting harder into her as he fought to hold back. He could feel his release approach, but he resisted it. He wanted to feel her come first. She leaned further and reached one hand down between them. A heartfelt groan escaped him as he felt her fingertips brush lightly over his balls, caressing gently. He mimicked her, flicking his finger over the very tip of her clit.
She relaxed, letting him go, surrendering to his strength. She could hear herself panting, short, choked moans escaping her every time he pressed inside of her. She clenched her muscles around him, squeezing him hard as he pulled back and releasing as he pressed into her. The familiar arousal had sparked a steady burn in the pit of his stomach, and he could hear his vocal chords rattle with the quiet, steady churring sound. God damn she was tight. How did she do that? He'd never felt anything as sweet as this, buried deep inside of her, thrusting, his release approaching. He held it off, exercising every ounce of willpower he had as he massaged at her breasts. He panted hard against her neck, his body tensing at the effort of holding back.
"Are you... close?" he choked.
She moaned loudly as her body took up the clench and release pattern on its own, and she felt sensation pool between her legs. "Yes!" She threw her head as she clamped down hard around him and felt something inside of her explode. "Yes! Raph!"
He groaned as he felt her crest and thrust as deep into her as he could. She screamed, her voice echoing off the walls of the room and ringing in his ears. He could hear his own panting breaths combine with a low, instinctive churring in the back of his throat as he shuddered, his balls tightening and pulling up. He released inside of her, shooting hot fluid deep into her body, and a loud cry escaped him as he realized, in the back of his mind, that this was what he'd been waiting for.
A wave of ecstacy swept over him. He could feel it through his entire body as he came, feeding off of her lustful cries. He could feel her beneath him, shaking almost violently, and realized that his own body was shivering. He eased down slow, the gentle feel of her fingertips on his balls and up along his shaft prolonging the feeling for a few more moments. He moaned quietly as he leaned in to kiss at her neck, supporting himself with his hands against the table. He didn't pull out just yet, not yet willing to give up the warmth of her walls around him. She continto sto stroke him gently as her own body came down, then turned her head to kiss the side of his face, nuzzling against him. "You okay?"
Raph moaned an answer, something along the lines of "yeah", before kissing back and slowly pulling out. She turned to face him, smiling faintly. She could feel the combination of her juices and his slowly easing from her body. Her fingers ran lightly down the side of his face and she felt tiny beads of sweat lubricate her fingers. She leaned in and kissed his lips lightly.
Raph kissed back, his eyes sliding closed as he pressed in further, claiming her mouth. "You're great," he breathed against her mouth.
She smiled and nudged against him. Her eyes flickered briefly to the camera that was still recording and she smiled as she turned her attention back to him and spoke in a very quiet whisper. "And don't you forget it."
***
She walked out into the early morning sunlight running her fingers through her hair. It took all of about five seconds for her to realize she was being watched. Her eyes narrowed as they came to rest on a dim, shadowed figure leaning against the street sign. She sighed inwardly. It wasn't that she hadn't expected to see him there, but she wasn't too particularly happy to see him.
He looked up, but didn't move until she was directly beside him. "Alright," she mumbled, not slowing her pace. "If I pull this job in, and do it successfully, I want your word that I will never see you again." He remained quiet, allowing her to continue without interruption. "I'm taking this job, and repaying my debt to you, and I'm not going to allow you to control my life anymore." There were a few moments of silence, until he was quite sure she was finished.
"That is understood."
She sighed. "Alright. Tell me what I need to know."
"His name is Aaron Stoner. Seventeen. His father used to be a judge withit oit of a reputation. He's now a congressman. He's got a few favors to call in and he's got bodyguards on his kid."
"Reputation for what?" she asked.
"Corruption."
"Ah."
"He's aware of his son's significance to this case, even though he doesn't realize the true magnitude of the problem it poses to us."
She nodded slowly. "What does Aaron think about his father's involvement?" she questioned. "Having bodyguards follow him around gets smothering, from my experience."
He considered that for a moment. "They don't really follow him around, to the best of my knowledge. And I don't know as the target has any intention of challenging his father even if they did."
"The father is... overbearing?"
"Abusive," he corrected. "Not so much physically. But most of it seems to be directed toward Aaron."
"How do you know this?" she challenged.
"We have several plants watching him and his family. You're free to speak with them, of course, and gain whatever information they can offer. One has been friends with his mother for quite some time now."
"Why is that? How long have you been watching him?"
"Not as long as this woman has been a friend of the family."
"You bought her help?"
"Her information."
She scowled. "Is that how you handled all of the assistance you're offering me?"
"No. A good portion of the target's friends and acquaintances were set in place by me. They could also provide you with a good deal of information."
"What can you provide me with, in the mean time?"
"What do you want to know?" he questioned, looking carefully around the street.
"Anything you can offer about the target."
"Light red hair, glasses, looks like a typical straight A student."
She scowled. She'd been a straight A student through school, and she knew a dozen other people who'd not in any way fit that description who were also very good in class. "What's his strongest subject?"
"English. He's a good writer, runs track and field. He very much avoids contact. Whether in sports or in social events... He's pretty secluded."
"Oh, that just makes my job so much easier..." she mumbled sarcastically.
"It may. The only friends he has are working on your side. With the exception of his girlfriend."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Leah. She's the head of the cheerleading squad and a typical ditzy bitch. Long black hair, too much excitement for her own good. She's very social and not much like him. I think he clings to her just because she builds up his self-esteem. But she refuses to fuck him, and that has a tendency to not go over well."
"Fragile relationship?" she guessed.
He shrugged. "Well, he has a tendency to just take her rejection on the chin. His self esteem is so low, he doesn't dare challenge her."
She nodded slightly. Self esteem was a continuing factor here. She made note of it. "Does he have any siblings?"
"Identical twin brothers, age seven, and a fifteen year old sister."
"What's the sister like?"
"In general? Moody. Rebelling."
"What's her relationship with him like?"
"There really isn't one."
Okay, so she couldn't use that in any way. "You said his father was abusive. What's his mother like?"
"A good wife. Stay at home mom. Overprotective and smothering, in his opinion. She puts a lot of pressure on him to be as good as she was in school."
She nodded slightly, and took a deep breath. "Okay. If I'm going to do this, we need to get one other thing straight." She stopped walking, and turned to face him right-on, arms crossed over her chest. "I don't want your help. I don't want to see you on any kind of regular basis and I don't want your plants interfering in my case. They either stand down or step out. I don't want their help. At all. Understand?"
He studied her for a moment, not speaking. "If this is my assignment," she continued, "and you want me to do it to the best of my ability, it has to be done my way. Pull them back, and let me do this. The last thing I need is to be attracting attention to myself."
He nodded. "I understand that. However, it might be to your advantage to ease into the situation using one of the people who've already been set up to..."
"No," she interrupted. "I work alone. I've been trained to work alone and rely on no one." She eyed him carefully. "Remember?"
He stared for a moment, and a slight smirk crossed his face. "I'll pull them out."
***
She could feel eyes on her. Instantly, she was tense. Surely he wasn't following her. He knew better than that. She'd just talked to him this morning and already he was giving her trouble. But no, it couldn't be. The presence wasn't threatening. And it didn't really... feel like him. It was more familiar. A smile crept across her face as she slowly recognized who it was. He was close, and obviously posed no threat to her. She knew exactly who was following her now. She could smell his scent in the damp air, so subtle it might not have been noticed by anyone else, and feel his familiar presence around her. But she couldn't pin down exactly where in the scenery he was. He blended perfectly into the shadows between and around the houses, even in broad daylight. And she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her spin around and look paranoid until her eyes found him.
Raphael smiled as he watched her. Her arms were hugged over her chest, head down and her hair whisping across her face. The baggy long sleeve shirt and tight jeans were completely covering... and yet strangely seductive at the same time. He ducked back as she passed the tree he was perched in, and his eyes traced the smooth curve of her back, down over her ass and her long legs.
She tossed her light brown hair back and uncrossed her arms to run her hands around over the front of her neck as she tilted her head back, exposing her throat. Her fingers slipped down under the neck of her shirt, massaging hard. She breathed in the damp scent of the streets around her. He had to be up on the rooftops. He wouldn't be on the ground. Either the rooftops or up in the widely-spaced trees that lined the street.
Her house was a good walking distance from the inner city. That was inconvenient, but it definitely had its advantages. Trees, her own entrance, parking in the alley if she ever dared to go back there. She had a car, but she rarely used it. Parking was a bitch in Manhattan. It wasn't worth it. So she jogged to and from the train station a mile away and took that into the city. Or walked, depending on how much of a hurry she was in. Today she walked, enjoying the hint of rain as it clung to her hair in tiny droplets.
A smile crept across her face. His scrutiny had stopped, and he'd left. Now it was a question of where he'd gone, and how long it would take for him to show himself. A figure leaning against a telephone pole along the sidewalk answered that question for her. He was curled in a dark trenchcoat, fedora pulled low over his brow. His head was down, but she could feel supernatural eyes on her, gauging her distance. She lowered her head, masking her eyes with her hair as she apphed hed him.
"Hey, baby, go for a ride?"
She smirked, and turned to him, tossing her hair back and folding her arms over her breasts again. "S'cuse me?" she snapped back, feigning offense. "Are you soliciting me?"
He pushed off the pole and took a step toward her, slipping his hands around her waist. His hands rested on her hips as he leaned into her. She tipped her head away from him and allowed him to suck gently on her neck. His tongue ran up, over her jaw, and licked her lips once, just lightly. "Maybe. Depends. You wanna be solicited?"
She smiled seductively at him as he pulled away. "You can solicit me any time you want, stud."
He laughed quietly, his hands running back around her to squeeze her ass before he pulled away. She leaned into him and kissed his cheek briefly. "Good to see you."
His tongue flicked out and touched her ear as she pulled back away from him. He slipped an arm around her waist as he turned and began walking with her. A thunder rumbled in the clouds overhead, and the rain came slightly harder, as if on cue. It formed into drops instead of the light mist, rustling the leaves of the trees and slapping down on the pavement.
"S'always raining lately," she sighed, leaning into him as they walked slowly toward home.
"Yeah, but you don't mind," he reminded her.
She smiled. "No, you're right. I don't. I like the rain."
"I know."
She looked up and kissed his cheek, then pulled away to continue walking. His hand moved behind her, slipping up underneath the bottom of the shirt. His thumb brushed lightly over the small of her back as they continued quietly, listening to the hiss of the rain.
She pulled away from him completely and his eyes studied her as she shifted a little. She laughed tightly as she felt his eyes on her. "Knock it off," she mumbled, shifting again as she kept walking.
He raised an eyeridge at her, questioningly. "Knock what off?" he demanded. "I can't touch you now?" His arm circled her higher, up around her rib cage, and his hand moved to fondle her breast as if to challenge her. She wasn't wearing a bra, and he smiled.
She squirmed. "Raph..."
A sadistic smile crossed his face. "What'sa matter, baby?" he prodded, curious. "You look a little uncomfortable."
She pulled away from him, digging her hands as deep into her pockets as they could go. But the pants were tight, and she d't g't get far. "Nothing," she mumbled.
He breathed deep, and took in the faint scent of her arousal. He shot a questioning glance at her. Surely that quick grope didn't cause that. Something more... "Yer lyin'. Somethin's got you hot. You wanna tell me what or do I have to guess?"
Her tight smile turned wicked, and she watched the ground as it passed under her feet. "I'm wearing a thong, and it's rubbing against my clit just right to get me really wet."
Raphael choked. It took him a minute to realize that he really wasn't surprised she'd said that. She grinned evilly as she tucked her hair behind her ear and turned her eyes to him, keeping her head down. She held back a laugh as she saw him begin to fidget as well.
"And... that's a bad thing?" he challenged when he finally found his voice.
She chuckled. "Well... no... not exactly. I mean, wet panties are a little uncomfortable in and of themselves, and this rubbing isn't exactly... painful." She glanced at him and smiled seductively. "But it's getting me really excited really fast, and we got another three blocks to go before we're home."
"Mmm," he acknowledged, choosing to keep his mouth closed before he dug the hole deeper. He could already feel himself getting hard at the thought of her walking along beside him with wet panties and increasing desire.
She pressed into him, resting her head on his shoulder, rubbing against him seductively. "Of course, the fact that I can't help thinking of you... isn't helping any. That my mind keeps getting caught up in fantasy and telling my body that it's your lips and tongue massaging down there, teasing me. And it's only a matter of time before you get tired of eating me out and decide to fuck me as hard as you can."
He almost stopped walking, shifting uncomfortably. Her words held a strange sort of power over him. He could feel his cock press against the inside of his shell. Misery loved company... She'd make him feel every minute of her pain. He felt a cool draft as she parted his jacket slightly, and her fingers tracing along the grooves in his lower plastron. Without thinking, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her hand away.
"Don't." The tone was somewhere between a plea and a warning.
She moaned slightly and pressed closer, leaning in to kiss his neck. He pulled away, putting his shoulder in between them. "No."
This time his answer was more firm. But she didn't back off. She couldn't really. Torturing him took her mind off the uncomfortable heat growing between her legs, and she needed that. "I'm so hot..." Her voice was a low whisper, barely audible. "I need you..."
He growled low, warning her, and she smiled as she pulled back and waited anxiously for the house to come into view. She bit her lower lip as she struggled not to look so obviously uncomfortable. But every step was achingly intense. Meanwhile, she knew the damage to him had already been done. She smiled as she realized how uncharacteristically quiet he was. Not to mention he was walking a little funny.
She chuckled to herself, then stopped and spun in front of him, slipping her hands into his trenchcoat and gripping the bottom of his plastron. Deep in thought, he was actually caught off guard. It took him a moment to realize she was rubbing her hips against him as she claimed his mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. His arms went around her waist instinctively and he moaned into her mouth as he realized what he was doing. His erection grew, and hurt as it pressed itself into the constricting space.
"You want me?" she breathed against his lips. "You wanna fuck me?"
His eyes slid closed and he groaned. "God damn it, baby..."
"Come'n get me then."
She jerked back, turned, and ran. He didn't have to think about it. He sprinted after her, feet splashing in the puddles that had begun to gather. He kept up, butn'tn't have much to hold back. She was fast.
She was almost in pain from the feeling between her legs by the time she reached the steps leading up to her front door. His hand brushed her hip as she scrambled up the stairs. At the top, she stopped, fumbling with her keys as she tried to find the one to open the damn door. Raphael reached her and slammed hard into her back on momentum, throwing her against it. She pushed off again, into him, struggling to find the key and insert it into the lock.
He pulled her hair aside and sucked hard on her neck, grinding against her. His hands moved around to her front. One went up under her shirt to feel her breasts, massaging roughly. The other moved down, unclasping her belt. He fumbled with her button and zipper, opening her pants just as they stumbled into the house.
She spun, dropping her keys on the floor, her hands reaching up. She grabbed his hat with one hand, the other caressing the side of his face as he kicked the door closed and pushed her back toward the sofa. She grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled it down in one quick, rough movement. He rolled his shoulders to help her, his hands tugging at her jeans. He yanked them down over her hips, along with the black thong, and she spread her legs for him to feel the growing wetness between them.
His finger pressed up and inside of her, his other hand sweeping both his weapons up off of his belt and tossing them carelessly on the floor. They clanged loudly against each other as they hit the carpet. Her pants down around her knees, she fell back on the couch, pulling him down on top of her. He caught himself on his arms and allowed his shaft to drop out from under his tight shell.
He penetrated her deeply, and without warning. She moaned loudly, arching her head back as he attacked her neck, sucking and licking hungrily. She was as wet as she'd promised, and he slid inside of her with very little friction and began to pump against her body. Even with all of the lubrication, he was still huge. She had to force her muscles into relaxation; not an easy task when everything inside of her wanted to just fuck him as hard as she could. But that would hurt. She had to relax.
Her hips moved up against his as he thrust faster, his pace matching the rapid breathing from his lips. His gasps were tainted with the sound of arousal as a quiet, instinctive churring in the back of his throat escaped with every breath. She let her body go limp, surrendering to his strength, letting him pound her just as hard and fast as he wanted.
The sound, feel, smell of him was too much. Her muscles clenched, back arched high, and she writhed beneath him as she felt her body release. A loud, unashamed scream projected to the ceiling and he leaned down, biting as the side of her neck. His body was tight, climbing... but god damn, he'd never seen her come so fast. For once, there was no need to hold back. He aggressively sought his release, and found it somewhere along the tail end of hers.
He shuddered, filling her, gasping with each thrust of fluid he released into her body. Their bodies heaved, shaking, throbbing at irregular intervals. Her muscles spasmed around him, and he collapsed into her, kissing her neck hard, over and over. A quiet moan escaped his lips, but there was no other attempt at speech. She smiled, brushing her fingers back and forth over the back of his neck as her body eased down.
His weight pressed down harder, and she cringed slightly. "Raph? Baby? Not that I don't really enjoy you holding me down... but I need to breathe."
"Mmmnnn..."
He pushed up from the couch, dipping his head once more to kiss her lips before he rocked back and moved to the opposite end of it. She made no attempt to sit up, and he took her feet into his lap as he leaned back, sighing deeply. He untied her shoes and pulled them off, then grabbed her socks by the toes and lifted them off as well. She smiled as she turned her face into the back of the couch and let him undress her. His hands moved up her legs to her knees, and he eased her pants the rest of the way down, dropping them on the floor.
She spread her legs a little so that he could see the pink of her sex, and he smirked as his eyes lingered there. His hands began working slowly at her foot, massaging deeply around her arch. A quiet moan escaped her. "Feel good?" he smiled knowingly.
"Mmm... S'great..."
He grinned wider at her encouragement and worked his fingers up to her toes. "So tell me," he mumbled. "It's just the thong that got you so worked up today? Or is it something else, too?"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Something else like what?"
He shrugged, squeezing her toes between his palms, then slowly moving his thumbs back down over the balls of her feet. "I dunno. Anything."
"Why would there be?" she challenged. She wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of him reading her so well. And she was curious as to exactly how he did it.
His eyes flickered once more to the valley between her legs, her clit still swollen from the orgasm. He smiled faintly, but didn't comment. "I dunno. You just came really fast is all." He raised his eyes to hers and grinned. "I never realized an article of clothing could be such amazing foreplay. Get you hot, yeah. But get you that close to release? That's different, babe."
She stared at him for a moment. Okay, he'd raised her curiosity. It was coming increasingly obvious that he knew things she didn't about her own body. It was probably just because of his obvious level of experience and the fact that his sexual encounters were all about pleasure for both sides, unlike hers. As much as it felt like swallowing her pride, she was very curious as to what, exactly, he knew.
"How's it different?" she challenged. "You were the one who says orgasm is all about physical reactions. If it's making my body react, how is it not bringing me closer?"
He chuckled, rubbing hard at the muscles in her foot, up toward her arch and back down to her toes. "Close, yeah. But not that close. You needed that release. You tried for it."
She growled slightly. Two could play this game. "How do you know I didn't just fake it, huh?" she shot.
He grinned, moving the massage up to her heel. "You didn't fake it."
"How do you know that?"
That was a question that had been bothering her since they'd first met. He knew it. He didn't quite understand why it meant so much to her, but he knew it did. She wasn't the first woman he'd ever been with who had tried to fake him out. She was just the first woman who couldn't get over the fact that he knew she'd tried it. Why did it bother her so much? He knew better than to ask.
"You ever been with a woman before?" he asked.
She blinked. That wasn't a question she'd been expecting. She shook her head. No, she hadn't. The situation had never called for it and it wasn't her thing. He looked back down at her feet, his hands working up slowly. He'd been pretty much expecting that answer. But it'd been worth a shot. "Ever heard of female ejaculation?" He wasn't real sure how to explain this.
"Yeah. Heard of it."
"A'right well, I don't care what you heard, it happens to every woman every time they come, just some more than others. And it tastes and smells different from what yer body puts out when you get turned on."
She stared at him for a moment. He could smell that? He'd told her before that he could smell pheromones. That stated, she didn't find it too hard to believe that he could smell the difference when she came. And actually, it made her feel a lot better. Because she knew no human man could figure that out. Her acting abilities weren't in question here.
She smiled. "Okay. I get it."
Her head rested back on the arm of the couch, and she closed her eyes. She stretched out, switc fee feet. The one he'd been massaging dropped to the floor, and she placed the other in his lap. He rubbed for a minute, silent.
"So," he finally started. "You never answered my question."
"What question?"
"What's with you today? Somethin' I did? Just stress?"
She frowned, slightly irritated. "Okay, so, tell me why this is such a bad thing that I..."
"I never said it was a bad thing," he interrupted her. He raised her foot and kissed it gently. "I just said it was strange."
"Stress is bad."
"Yeah, but stress builds up emotion which makes you fight for release."
She sighed, turning her head into the back of the couch. He frowned just slightly. "Hey, you don't have to tell me, you know. I can shut up if that's what you want."
"No..." she sighed. "It's just... I dunno. I don't wanna talk about it."
He didn't react. Okay. If she didn't want to talk about it, he was cool with that. But at the same time, something inside of him cou't h't help but be curious. There was so much about her that he didn't know. His fingers moved up, all the way to her ankle in a slow, steady massage. He watched her expression, and smiled faintly. She could've been asleep if he didn't know better. He raised her foot slowly and began to kiss, working slowly from her heel to her toes. When he got there, he paused, and took a few moments to draw them into his mouth, one at a time, licking and sucking at each. She smiled, but didn't open her eyes or make a sound.
He moved up over the side of her foot, sucking gently at her ankle, then slowly up the inside of her leg. She moaned slightly as he paused to kiss and lick at the inside of her knee, repositioning in his corner of the sofa so he could climb higher. Her legs were already wide apart, and he had plenty of room. He started up her thigh, smiling as her drugging scent washed around him.
He lingered for a moment over the crease where her leg and her hip joined, planting light kisses along her skin. His tongue darted out as he came to sensitive pressure points, probing gently at them. She whimpered as she felt her nerves jump. How did he do that? He wasn't touching between her legs, but that's exactly where she was feeling the reaction.
He smiled and slowly worked back down, breathing in her scent deeply. He kissed her clit, and down over her lips, his tongue slipping in between them and probing gently at her sensitive flesh. He licked at her, tasting deeply, and nuzzled the tip of his beak against her clit. But he pulled away before she had a chance to even think about coming, and swallowed her fluids as he climbed up further.
She groaned, but didn't resist him. That felt good, but he hadn't really given it enough time to be considered teasing. She felt his arms slip underneath her, and the next thing she knew, he'd switched positions with her. She blinked, startled, instinctively trying to catch herself before she realized there was no need. He settled on his back on the couch, turned just slightly toward the back of it to keep from falling off.
One hand remained on her back, under her shirt, and the other came to the back of her head, gently guiding her down. She resisted only for a moment, then gently eased down, resting her head against his plastron. He buried his fingers in her hair, massaging her scalp lightly and with the same rhythm as his other hand stroked the small of her back. Very slowly, the hand at the back of her head came down, brushing instead at the back of her neck.
They remained silent, and his eyes closed. She couldn't help but smile at the quiet comfort that came with lying here with him. She felt safe and warm for the first time in years, if not in her entire life. She closed her eyes, nuzzling against him. She had a lot to do tomorrow, but for now, she just wanted to rest in his arms. It may well be the last few hours she had to spend with him.