Hot and Burning

[Nesrin Aziz]

He made her smile, and obviously she didn’t answer that question, because aside from anything she said incidentally revealing she had some familiarity with morning-after etiquette, it just wasn't that usual a response. The heady sparks of a one-night stand rarely translated to anything significant next-day, and most guys (or girls) only went through the motions, else there was a more clandestine reason for a swift exit, like a wedding ring. Unless Nesrin wanted something from them, she never minded those brief glimpses into another’s life, or the eventual parting. But then Eddie – in his posh suit, drinking alone at a prestige nightclub bar – wasn’t the usual sort she’d go for. Which was to say, he’d actually looked like a nice guy.

“Breakfast in Egypt is a feast. Fuul and aish beladi,” she said, laughing a little at his very Western list of offerings. He might know what those were, depending on where he’d toured, but doubtful he had the sorts of ingredients necessary to hand. Not that she minded in the slightest; she was curious about him more than the contents of his pantry. “Perhaps I’ll treat you some time. But I want to know what you like, Eddie. Make us your favourite?”

She couldn’t tell from his answer how long he was planning to stay in Moscow, and she didn’t press. Everything in Nesrin’s life was temporary, and if he was only in the city exploring options, perhaps that was ultimately a good thing.

His returned teasing coaxed a flirtatious look, amused. She came closer, sliding her coffee next to the sink behind him as she leaned into him gently. “While you’re thinking about it, I have another favour to ask.” She didn’t divest him of his mug, but she did take his free hand and slide it over the top of her thigh, trailing the bare curves to cup her hip hidden under the shirt. She watched his expression as she did it, wanting to see her effect on him, a sly smile on her lips. “I might also need to borrow some pants,” she confided in a whisper.

She kissed him then, prey to the trap of her own temptation. It was deeper than the one he’d given her before he’d passed her the coffee, yet wasn’t the heated seduction of last night – it was something softer, more like a question she asked herself. When she pulled away, the smile was genuine but unapologetic, as she let him remember about that breakfast.

[Edwin]

Eddie was drawn in by her. It was the only way to explain it. Mostly he had a feeling that whatever this was that was happening was a one time deal - a thought that came to him simply because he had never experienced a one night stand before, but even so, there seemed to be something here. He intrigued her or she intrigued him - or perhaps a bit of both.

Her mention of Egypt revealed more of his guest. He had assumed she was Middle Eastern based off of looks, but that could mean she came from any one of a dozen places. Now that his brain wasn’t focused primarily on protecting her or getting to know every inch of her body, he was able to find those slight details that were easy to miss, unless you were looking for them.

Once again, they were in close proximity. Eddie did not resist when she took his hand and guided it up her thigh and towards her hip, confirming what he knew; she was literally wearing only his shirt. His look was not one of surprise, but of arousal, tempered slightly with a chuckle at her request for pants. His laugh ended as she kissed him, not with the passionate need they had shared kisses the night before, but more gentle.

Eddie smiled as the kiss ended. ”I think you’re a bad influence on me,” he said to her in jest. ”Of course, you can borrow whatever you like, just know I’m going to enjoy the show as you head back to the room to get it.” he gave her a grin. His mind wasn’t currently on breakfast. Last night had been meant for a distraction. The distraction continued.

[Nesrin Aziz]

His kiss gave her butterflies, and it was the sweetest feeling. That was the source of her smile when she pulled away, the answer to her silent question. Eddie’s hand was warm against her skin, not roaming despite the liberties he could have taken – and by the enticed way he looked down at her, it wasn’t simply that he wasn’t thinking about it. A mischievous look flashed for his jest, a truth she didn’t care to hide. Eddie didn’t even know her real name, but despite it there was little else of her veiled away, not least how much of a flirtatious tease she was. She slipped her fingers along his waistband. “And if the pants I want to borrow are these ones?”

She wanted to draw him into her again then, to feel a bit more of that tentative captivation, even if it was only kissing innocently by his kitchen sink. It made her wary in equal measure to the way it also made her feel a little breathless. In Nesrin’s experience good things never lasted; they ended up hurting eventually, or they had a catch – so she didn't really trust them. And Eddie felt suspiciously like a good thing. Yet at the same time he sounded uncommitted to Moscow, and he'd talked about Manifesto being a distraction when she’d pulled him onto the dancefloor. That alone tempted at her – something with a natural expiration had far less risk. And she always liked the thrill of new things.

She grinned as she withdrew, looking him up and down with the same appreciation as she knew he’d watch her in return. A few backward steps teased, twisting the end of a loose curl, before she turned, and disappeared back into his bedroom to find those pants.

[Edwin]

Eddie enjoyed watching her, knowing she would be back. Rhi was more captivating than any other women he had met. Perhaps that should have been a red flag, but it wasn't where Eddie's mind was. When she had grabbed on to his waistband, he had wanted her to take charge. Had desired a second round of what they had done last night, but he hadn't reacted in time, and she had left to find pants.

Well, shit... he thought.

It was what it was though. She went to find pants, and he began to pull out eggs, bacon, peppers, and onions. He started the bacon cooking while he cut the peppers and onions. Omelettes were good enough and easy enough to make. It wasn't a feast like Rhi was used to, but it would suffice. He made sure to flip the bacon, making sure it wouldn't burn. He'd chop that and mix it with the eggs as he would the peppers and onion. Ham would be a nice addition too, but he had none, so that wouldn't work.

[Nesrin Aziz]

Eddie didn’t follow, though she hadn’t expected he would, for all that he might want to. She felt the ramp of his pulse, the catch of his breath, the way he looked at her when she touched him; cues she could have played like a melody. But she liked him, and maybe that was why she left the choice to him, even if she wanted it too. There was something in his neat, ordered appearance that she very much wanted to be responsible for disheveling. Again. But he wasn’t wrong about her being trouble.

Once in his bedroom she leaned on his windowsill and glanced out long enough to catch her bearings, and maybe to let her own pulse come down a little. By now she could hear noises from the kitchen, enough to suggest he had decided to distract himself with breakfast, and for a moment she brought her focus back to the day ahead. Elyse and Anna had suggested she try Kallisti for work, and she intended to secure that today. It offered the same kind of safety Eddie did, a community she could hide inside while she got rid of the Key and figured out what to do after. She didn’t want to wear the red dress for that first impression, and it hardly fit the impression of “Ness” she had left with the girls anyway, which was why she teased Eddie into letting her borrow his clothes. Synchronicity of her identities could come in time – the girls would soon discover the coy charmer she really was. Now the Emissary had her trail, the cute university student was less useful anyway. It’s why she only used nicknames. Easy to explain when her separate worlds collided.

At some point she also needed to check on the auction, and see if the Jackal had sent any more messages – or anyone else – but she’d have to retrieve her wallet for that first. And she intended to check in with Wicked. Last they’d spoken, she’d teased his curiosity for what had been in the garment bag as she’d left the condo. She was fairly certain he would have been watching since then, though she still wasn’t sure of the depth of his capabilities. But she owed him some information.

She flipped through the options in Eddie's wardrobe. Nesrin borrowed other people’s clothes often enough that she knew the tricks to make them look like they fit. A fold here, a tuck there. He was only a little taller than her, so with her heels back on the pants didn’t hang half bad. She tucked the shirt in, left several of the buttons loose, and belted it at the waist. She used the one Eddie had been wearing last night for that, because maybe she was just a little bit sentimental, and she liked the flash of memory. When she checked herself in the mirror the sleek black waves of last night had mostly succumbed to her hair’s more natural curl, something a little wilder, but she didn’t have any way of taming that so she just flipped the parting and went with it.

Finally, Nesrin retrieved the Key, then spent some time folding the scarlet dress. She left that on his bed, atop sheets she quite purposefully left mussed.

When she returned to the kitchen she paused in the doorway to watch him. Domestication wasn’t anything she was used to. Her home life had never included anyone making her breakfast, even as a kid, and while she’d had plenty of varied experiences as a young woman, there was still an unfamiliar charm to it – just watching someone do something perfectly ordinary. He hadn’t mentioned the spike or the bruise or why she had been at Manifesto, and Nesrin didn’t plan to bring it up. Not that she’d avoid it if he did.

She was fairly certain he’d be aware she’d returned, but she didn’t linger to be caught looking, instead coming to stand behind him.

“Hmm. An omelette man. Interesting.” Her chin hovered on his shoulder, and she couldn’t resist resting her hand on his hip as she peered at what he was doing. Her lips teased half a smile as she added into his ear, “Is there anything you want me to do?”

[Edwin]

Eddie kept working, his libido calming. Still part of him screamed that not following Rhi back to the room had been a mistake. Chopping vegetables was certainly enough to calm him down though. She seemed to be gone for awhile considering she was just looking for clothes to borrow, but it’s not like he had anything his that he would be embarrassed for her to find.

Rhi came behind him resting her chin on his shoulder and placing her hand on his hip. He once more felt that jolt as she touched him, but his libido was sufficiently calmed - probably a good thing so the knife in his hand didn’t slip as he chopped.

”Omelletes are great. Protein, vegetables, and easy to make.” he smirked. ”Nothing you need to do except keep looking pretty, he said, giving her a coy smile over his shoulder. ”and maybe tell me if everything I’m putting in this is suitable for you. Anything you don’t want or do want added to this.”

He had wanted to ask for more. Simply because he liked the way her body felt wrapped around his, but the distraction while cooking might not be great, still he leaned into her a little bit, letting her know her hand at his waist was very welcome.

[Nesrin Aziz]

“Spoken like a true soldier,” she said: efficiency over decadence. Nesrin spoke of feasts but it had only been to give a sense of identity to the woman Eddie took home. She did like Egyptian food, that was true. In this part of the world she rarely ate it though. Nesrin didn't mind cooking but there wasn’t any incentive when it was just her – far easier to bask in room service or maxing out other people's credit cards than navigate the high tech wizardry of luxury kitchens, only to set a table for one at the end of it. As such, Eddie could have poured them both a bowl of cereal and she would have been content.

She laughed. “Let's both be glad you didn't try that cheesy line in the club,” she teased. The amusement was genuine and a little enamoured, because the smile Eddie shot back over his shoulder was all coy and flirtatious but she'd never met a man quite so innocent. She hadn't been asking about what she could do to help prepare breakfast.

He leaned a little, pressing her body against him in a way that made her very aware, but she wasn't sure if he didn't also seem a bit flustered. Peppers, onions and bacon hardly seemed unusual enough to worry about her taste. It was cute. She presumed he was mostly meaning the bacon frying off in the pan with the question, but he needn't have worried. She reached around him to steal a slice of the chopped pepper.

“I'm not Muslim if that's what you're wondering. Good Muslim girls don't go home with guys they just met no matter how cute and charming they are. And they definitely don't, well… you know.” She put the piece of pepper in her mouth. There was a sultry gloss to her dark eyes, and a smile tugging her lips. Clearly, she was not thinking about the taste of the pepper. Eddie’s temperance this morning amused her, and it was hard not to play with it. He wasn’t tense – she could feel that from the pleasant ways their bodies were touching – and his smiles were easy, so she wouldn’t call it nerves either, but she wondered if he just didn’t know how to navigate his desire.

“This is fine. This is good. And I'd try anything once, anyway,” she assured him, in answer to his query about the omelette and her preferences for it, but maybe not only. Nesrin grinned, laughed, and added in his ear. “Or maybe twice, just to be sure.”

He’d been the one to suggest she get dressed, and Nesrin intended to be well behaved as a result, but her interest in being good was rapidly curtailing. She pressed a kiss to the side of his neck, just below his ear. She didn’t want the knife to slip. But she absolutely enjoyed knowing what she was doing to him, especially while he was trying to concentrate. “You must have some stories, Eddie. What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done?”

[Edwin]

Eddie smiled as she continued to tease and began to wonder why he was so reserved at returning it. They had a good time last night. He was at least sure he had, and her demeanor this morning led him to believe she had as well. There was no reason why he shouldn't. Even if he misread a cue or something, she always seemed to push him a little more with a slight touch here or a simple gesture there.

It was Rhi's question that changed that, a simple question opening up a moment of clarity. Most thought the life of a soldier to be exciting - full of adventure. But it was not. It was dull routine, day after day. Wake up, morning calisthenics, breakfast, check equipment, duty, lunch, more duty, rec time, dinner, bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. It was exceedingly boring. Even on leave, his unit would go to the same bar, talk to the same people, and do the same things. It was why Eddie sought change - it was why he was cultivating other options.

Last night, Eddie had broken the routine. He had gone to a club he never would have gone to before. He had allowed himself to be taken in by a complete stranger, and then he went home with her. They hadn't been on a date. Even now, he barely knew the woman behind him. He had let himself go last night, and he liked it. The answer to her question was simple. The most adventurous thing he had ever done had been the night he had just had.

Sleep had erased that adventurous spirit, resetting him to his default. This combined with the lack of knowledge of how to deal with the morning after, made Eddie hesitant to move further. Eddie wasn't sure anything was going to come of this. He had no idea if Rhi was interested more in a nightly fling. Even if he was okay with going farther with her, he wasn't sure where she stood. He wasn't sure he wanted to ask, but still, he knew she was trying to get something out of him. Some sort of reaction to push him out of his comfort zone - to take that risk again, and now that Eddie understood his reservation, he found that he wanted to do so.

Eddie put down the knife and made sure the stove was off before turning around to face her. Her question, unanswered, lingered in the air as he put his hand on her waist and pulled her into him. The kiss he gave her was more than the one he had given her earlier, if not as passionate as what they shared the night before. Regardless of how things went right now, he was grateful to Rhi - grateful she had challenged him in a way he hadn't understood before. His hands, at her waist traveled lightly, but mostly just pulled her closer. Right now, he wanted to feel her there, but deeper down, he knew he wanted more than that. Risk - he wanted the risk. This time the risk would be whether or not she chose to continue.

[Nesrin Aziz]

He put down the knife. Watching the deliberate way he did it tingled heat inside her, a little like when he’d pushed her against the door last night. Though the fact he also paused to switch off the stove prompted a wickedly amused smile, there was actually something quite sexy in the control. He pulled her close, and she didn’t resist. He hadn’t answered. Well, not in words, but she thought she caught the meaning.

She kissed him back, smiling around it. It was kind of a compliment, after all. The initial strength in his hands had become soft at her waist, but they urged her so close there was no question of his arousal. Nesrin liked what she did to him, or maybe what she drew out of him. But she also liked what he did to her. Because she didn’t deserve him, not even a little, but he made her feel like she did. As the kiss deepened and that feeling washed through her, she was eager to pretend it was real.

Left to his own devices, she was sure that even impassioned Eddie would lead back to the bedroom, and instead she coaxed him after her until they hit the kitchen table. Her fingers had wasted no time tugging at his neat shirt and running her touch underneath, not unmindful of the bruising, but not careful either. This time she was more heedful of the buttons, though, looking up at him as she slipped each one out. By the glitter in her gaze she wanted to give him time to anticipate what she intended. Which she may or may not have been thinking about since she waltzed into his kitchen wearing only his shirt. As the last button came free she gave a teasing smile and lifted herself on the table. Eddie’s shirt was loose by now but still on his shoulders, and she pulled on it to urge him close enough to kiss again. Her thighs cupped around his. Her hands guided him to her belt.

[Edwin]

Eddie had given in to her temptations, and the risk had paid off. A second round of sex on the kitchen table was followed by a shared shower in which very little time had actually been spent getting clean. Eddie was dressed again and so was Rhi, as they finished eating at the kitchen counter.

Something had changed in Eddie. It had changed with his decision to not hold back. He had felt the shift, coming not with his decision to go to Manifesto the night before, but with the decision to no longer hold back. He felt like a new man, and this was a new beginning. That hadn't been expected, but it was appreciated.

They chatted for awhile, nothing terribly interesting, but enough to pass the time until she had to leave. A final kiss good bye and she headed off to do whatever business she had to do. Eddie had never asked, for some reason, liking the mystery with her. He had no idea if he'd see her again or not, but what they had, even if short lived, he had been grateful for.

As he went into his room, he noticed the red dress, folding neatly on his disheveled bed. He had thought nothing of her borrowing his clothes until he saw the dress there, and with a small card, with a simple phone number on it. He smirked at that, pleased that he would possibly see her again.