A Genetic Predisposition Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Of sauces and sticky situations
Jack sighed and slowly, reluctantly sat up and disengaged himself from her warmth. Nadia shivered. “Maybe that was a bad idea,” she mused, then quickly clarified herself. “I mean, having you leave me. I didn’t mean making love--”
“It’s okay. I know what you meant,” Jack whispered, running his hands up and down her arms. Bringing her hand up to his mouth, he kissed each one. “Are your wrists okay?”
“Yes. It didn’t hurt. It never hurt. Except my pride that I couldn’t extricate myself.”
“You did when you wanted to.” Jack said it absently, as he held onto her hands and wondered to whom he had been directing the comment. Her or himself? There was so much tying him down, binding him. But perhaps it was his choice. Perhaps he needed to examine the bindings and determine when to loosen them. Perhaps first though, he needed to examine which bindings were worth keeping and which worth no more than sweeping aside. “You figured it out. You untied yourself.”
“Yes, I did,” Nadia whispered, sensing that the respite from the battle Jack had been waging was over. Once again, something was weighing on him. “And now I’d like you to keep your promise. Turn on the light.”
“Of course,” Jack agreed. Standing up, he pulled up his jeans.
Zzzzipppp
“I did not say you could get dressed, you know,” Nadia complained as she heard the sound of the zipper once again.
“I do not recall giving you permission to tell me---”
“You didn’t. I took it. That seems to work best with you.” Nadia reached out blindly and grabbed for Jack’s hand. Finding it, she pulled him toward her and then suddenly realized that too many people had just taken from Jack. Squeezing his hand, she amended herself, “What I meant was-“
“I know what you meant,” Jack said softly and bringing her hand to his mouth kissed her palm. “Next question?”
“Where are we?”
“Where do you think we are?” Jack tugged on her hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Your storage unit with the medical clinic built in?” Nadia reached her hand out and found Jack’s waist. Grabbing a handful of his shirt, she began tugging it free from his jeans.
“Who told you about that? Arvin?” Jack caught her hands and tucked his shirt back in.
“Yes.” Nadia unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.
“No.” Jack rebuttoned it.
“Is it...?” Nadia stopped to nuzzle into his neck and felt his pulse pounding under her lips. “Is it some out of the way abandoned warehouse or factory you use for regular interrogation of suspects?” Nadia reached for Jack’s wrist and unbuttoned the cuff. When he didn’t stop her, she did the same to his other wrist.
“I’d never use the same place twice, Nadia. That would show a decided lack of--” Jack smiled to himself and snaking a hand around her waist, pulled her up against him, stopping her busy hands...Well, guess not, he decided as she reached around and slid her hands down to his butt and squeezed.
“Excuse me for insulting your gamesmanship, Jack.” Nadia rolled her eyes in the darkness and smoothed her feet back and forth on the floor searching for clues but only encountered a hard surface. “Are we...Let’s see. What would suit your slightly-twisted sense of humor? Are we...Madre de Dios. Are we somewhere that belongs to my father?”
Jack chuckled. “That would have been a good idea. Especially if I had used cameras. Especially if it had been, say, his office-“
“But the guards...”
“Arvin makes several mistakes consistently. One is to underestimate the repercussions to his actions. When one’s actions cause others often irreparable harm, one should be more careful about the people with whom one surrounds oneself.”
In the darkness, hearing the almost-imperceptible click in her mind, Nadia stilled as she began to see the greater picture. “Let me guess. Marcus mentioned that you recruited him. You did that for my father before at SD-6; he asked you to help him recruit for APO and-“
“Yes. But no, we’re not in his office. But the cameras are a good idea...” he teased, trying to forget the past.
“Cameras? Be serious and ---”
“As serious as when Sydney and Vaughn were---” Jack bit off his words. Nadia didn’t need to know about the videotaping, the thought of which had been enough to ruin his sex life for months. And months.
Nadia waited and when Jack didn’t continue, she made a mental note to follow up on that unfinished thought later and demanded now, “Just turn on the light. How bad could it be? Wait. We’re not at Sydney’s apartment while she’s out with Michael, are we?”
“Now, that would be too twisted, even for me.” Jack snorted. Then taking one step to the side, he reached out. A second later Nadia heard his hand hit something... And suddenly there was a click and a small lamp illuminated the room. Looking around incredulously, Nadia stared. Her mouth dropped open and she stumbled briefly.
“You....” Nadia used her free hand to pinch his butt, something else she’d been dying to do since the first time she’d seen him in jeans. Then she looked up at him, ready to speak and gasped. Reaching her hand up, she touched his cheek. “Jack... I did that...” She lightly touched the scratches on his face. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not-“
“Really, it’s nothing.”
Nadia shook her head and standing on tiptoe, brushed her lips across his cheek and felt his fingers bite into her waist at the simple gesture. “It’s definitely not nothing,” she said to herself, as well as to him, sensing how the apology and the kiss had touched him.
“I’m not going to argue about that, when there’s so much else to argue about,” Jack agreed, turning her around to look at their surroundings. “I told you that you were nowhere you weren’t planning on being,” Jack explained patiently. It was too bad, he decided a second later when she shoved at him once again, that he hadn’t succeeded in keeping the note of amusement out of his voice. “Do you remember that I said that? Or is your memory clouded, as my hearing is, by the sounds of your screams?”
“And let me guess, there’s no one to hear me scream?” Nadia asked as she looked around curiously.
“Not for miles and miles. Unless you count the deer.”
“All of this time....” Nadia gritted out. “We’ve been at your cabin?”
“Yes. What did you think?” Jack watched her face as she looked up at the vaulted ceiling, the masculine Mission furniture, the fireplace and no doubt searched for windows.
“I thought...You know what I thought!” Nadia turned back to glare at Jack.
“That I had done what? Brought you to my subterranean lair or...the Batcave?”
“Who does that make me? Catwoman?”
“I’m hoping to avoid any whips, to tell you the truth.” Jack cautiously ran his hands slowly along the warm skin of her waist, hesitating to call attention to her nudity because he wanted to enjoy every second of it. “Although if you have a leather bustier, just lying around--”
Nadia shoved against Jack and he released her. She turned around. A couch. She’d been lying on a damn couch? She ran her hand along it. “This isn’t leather.”
“No. It’s not practical for a vacation cabin. Too porous to liquids, like--” Jack touched his tongue to his bottom lip and then said slowly, “I’m sure you can imagine what I mean.”
Nadia flushed and looked down at the couch. “Jack...”
“Don’t worry. There’s no...mess there. I licked you clean.”
Nadia stared at him, feeling her heart pound. She nodded and raised her eyebrow. “I’d like to return the favor.”
Jack stared at her. Running his hand around her waist, up her arm and shoulder, gently caressing her neck, he finally stopped at her mouth and rubbed her lower lip. “I’m a little...sticky now...” Jack grinned as she flushed slightly. “But later, I’d be happy to allow you--”
“Allow me?” Nadia bit at his fingertip and then sucked his finger into her mouth.
“Maybe not.” Jack pulled his finger out of her mouth..
“Maybe...” Nadia reached around and picked up the strap. “Maybe I won’t give you a choice.” As Jack smiled, she looked at it and saw that it was one strap with a velcro fastening. He had wrapped her wrists and then wrapped it around the cushion with the closure under the cushion, unreachable. “Is this just standard equipment here at your cabin?”
“Yes. And...” Jack gently pulled her against him once again and kissed her hair softly. When she rested her head against his chest, he kissed her neck and whispered, “Welcome to my cabin.”
Nadia turned her head too slowly and missed his mouth, grazing his cheek. “Thank you. I’m...happy to be here with you. Any way we may have started...” She knew she needed more answers. But not right now, she decided and tossed the strap down and gestured around the expansive living room. “As long as we’re here. But here... Cabin seems like an inadequate word. It’s huge!”
“You like things big?” Jack smiled. He knew she’d start asking more questions soon, but right now he was determined to just enjoy this moment.
Nadia grinned and wiggled closer to Jack’s body. My, he was a big man. “Well, it was bigger than I expected.”
“Is that so?” Suddenly Jack wondered why he was dressed. Surely, this would be much better if he could feel her against his skin. But...he had plans and if he undressed, they’d end up back on the couch, or the floor, or the coffee table or the chair or the ottoman. Now, there was an idea. That was the perfect height, padded and--
“I was expecting something smaller.” Nadia wondered why Jack was examining each piece of furniture in the room, but when he looked down at her appraisingly as if he were measuring her, she knew. He was...fitting her to the furniture. Where were the bedrooms? She glanced around and saw stairs, then a balcony in the darkness of the upper reaches.
“How insulting.” Jack began to laugh. “But then again, I only have the one light on. The darkness probably makes it seem larger than it is.”
“I hope that’s not true of everything...” Nadia dropped her gaze down Jack’s body and gave him a sly glance. She smiled when she saw him grin briefly. Very briefly, because he lost his grin when she reached out and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“What are you--”
“What does it feel like I’m doing?” Nadia kept her gaze fixed on the buttons before her, noting that for Jack’s protests, he wasn’t stopping her. Yet. “I’m merely checking to see if the darkness really did...amplify everything.”
Jack folded her hands within his and stepped back. “This is not in my game plan right now.”
“Are you playing - hard to get? Because I can appreciate the hardness, but not the--”
Jack sighed. “I’m sorry, but a man of my age needs some recovery time.”
Nadia sighed. “I suppose that’s true. What a pity. Because I’m ready--”
“Are you? Well, as a good host, I’d be happy to provide you with whatever you need.”
“Really? Extra towels?” She couldn't wait to take a shower with him.
“Not a problem.” He couldn't wait to dry her off.
“Toiletries I’ve forgotten? Lotion, moisturizer for my skin?” His lips and tongue needed to make their way across her skin, she decided, staring at his mouth, remembering all it had done for her, to her, earlier.
“I’m sure I can supply any liquid you want on your skin, especially if you need it rubbed in.” Yeah, he was sure he could supply it.
Nadia bit her lip hard to keep from laughing, which would spoil the game. She licked the little sore spot and watched Jack’s gaze hone in her mouth. “What else might I need?” she asked, tapping her fingertip on her lower lip, watching him carefully. When his tongue came out and licked his lip, she licked her fingertip and held it up. “Look, it’s almost dry. I’m thirsty. Can you quench my need?”
Jack felt his eyes widen slightly. It was better than acknowledging the flush that began in his groin and was winding its way upward. Clearing his throat, he nodded and said, “I’m sure I can provide something for you to drink. In fact I have an excellent vintage--”
“Good..wines improve with age. And I’m really quite hungry. I could use a truly fine f---”
“Nadia!” Jack began to laugh as red crept into her face. She was shocking herself, but was determined to play this game. He wondered when she would realize that she was standing there naked. He could tell. He could. But...he sighed. He wasn’t that stupid.
“What is the matter, Jack?” He seemed distracted. Nadia grabbed him around the waist. “I was merely about to say that I could use a truly fine food service menu.”
“Really? That’s too bad.” What was too bad was the amount of control it was taking not to push her back against the fireplace mantel or...Open the shields on the window, let the moonlight stream in and press her against it, letting her beauty meet the light that illumined the darkness for him tonight.
“Why is that? Can’t the management provide what I need?” Nadia began to pull at Jack’s shirt, loosening it from his pants.
“Oh, I can. But I thought you were going to make requests of another type of menu.” He really couldn’t push her back against that window; it would be too cold. Although...then her nipples, which were really quite amazing, rosy and large, just waiting for his touch, his hand, his mouth, his... He sighed. Then they would become hard and... Which would be better? Oh who cared? He just wanted them in his mouth. Then he could pull his mouth away and see them, glistening from the wetness of his mouth. Or, he could certainly give her another menu option and a different type of wetness.
“Can I?” Nadia asked, seeing the heat in his eyes. Apparently, she was likely to experience a hot sauce. Very soon, if she had her way.
“And what would be on your truly fine food service menu?”
“A well-prepared piece of meat.” Nadia reached for Jack’s belt buckle and heard his soft hiss of breath as he watched her hands.
Ding!
“What was that?!” Nadia started.
“Oh.” Jack gestured over his shoulder toward what Nadia realized was a kitchen. “That’s the timer telling me that the...meat has marinated long enough.” He took a step away, hiding his smile.
“Yes, it has!” Nadia exclaimed and grabbed Jack’s hand. Shocking herself, Nadia pushed his hand between her legs and rubbed it against the slowly moving current of wetness there. “Can’t you tell? Isn’t it...tender enough for you?”
Jack blinked, then Nadia watched his eyelids droop down for a second as he looked at her. Licking his lips, he slowly pulled his finger against her and then raised his hand to his mouth. “Very tender...And the sauce just clings to my lips.” Jack whispered in a dark voice, then as she watched he slowly licked every drop of wetness from his finger. “But I think it needs a little longer...” Jack gave one last hard suck to his finger and then turned around and walked away. Looking over his shoulder, he called out, “Don’t you want to come into the kitchen and help me with this sticky situation?”
Nadia began to laugh. Racing after him, she slapped him hard on the butt and then darted in front of him. Reaching the kitchen, she stopped and then turned around. “Sticky situations? Like telling me why or how you killed Irina Derevko to protect Sydney?”
Jack paused in the doorway. Nodding at her, he looked down at the sleeves she’d unbuttoned. Slowly flipping back the cuffs, he began rolling them up as he walked toward her.
TBC at Chapter 10